Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 is coming soon. Along with the new patch, Square Enix is delivering a major overhaul of its flagship MMO. If you’re wanting to hop back in after a long break, or a brand new player looking to try the game, Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 is literally the best time. The update will completely revamp the leveling system and the early game, streamlining the process immensely. Dozens of cluttered and frankly useless quests are being removed, and players won’t have to slog through so many outdated dungeons.
To coincide with this massive change, Square Enix is also making it so anyone can play the game to level 60 with just a free trial. There will still be restrictions on trading and community-related content, but a brand new player can basically play the entire game through the first expansion entirely for free.
You will be able to wrap up the story from this patch and progress into the future expansions, provided you buy the full game. The changes are designed to get players over that hump of older content that the team says drove many players away.
Flying will now be available in ARR zones. Players will need to finish the ARR storyline, completing the main scenario quest “The Ultimate Weapon” in order to unlock this feature.
When Will Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 Release?
The new update comes out soon. The production of the new content had been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and now the player base has finally gotten a firm release date for 5.3. The new patch, titled Reflections in Crystal, will now be released on August 11.
The big new additions will finally wrap up the Shadowbringers storyline with a new main scenario raid. The new 24-player raid is part of the YoRHA: Dark Apocalypse series. A story-driven boss fight is expected with this new raid. There is also a tie-in with the aforementioned game revamp for lower-level players.
FFXIV’s producer and director Naoki Yoshida has made it very clear to players that this patch has been tough work thanks to both the scale of the rework and the ongoing issues related to the pandemic. The patch was supposed to release during the Summer, but delays due to testing and quality assurance were unavoidable.
As the team working on the game has adjusted to remote work, the efficiency of their process has improved. Naoki Yoshida has said that the team could be working at 90% efficiency on good days, all while observing quarantine guidelines in Japan. This has led to optimistic timelines for the next major expansion to land in Summer 2021.
What’s Coming in Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3?
There’s actually a ton of new content coming. Even though this isn’t a complete expansion, the player base is sure to be surprised by the number of changes headed their way.
YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Chapter 2 and More
YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Chapter 2 will be the wrap-up for the ongoing Shadowbringers storyline. There will be a series of new quests, with both Normal and Extreme versions of the final boss fights, that tie into an unpredictable enemy. The new boss of the 24-man raid is something that the director thinks will be quite a surprise.
This series of quests will conclude the tie-in with the Nier series of games. The last set of dungeons will be called The Puppet’s Bunker for the main raid, as well as a new minor dungeon called the Heroes’ Gauntlet. There is also content that works with the Alliance Raid from Patch 5.1. Heroes’ Gauntlet will work similarly to the older MSQ dungeons, where you can run it with other players or with NPCs.
And if you’re looking for more challenge, a new solo mission is coming too. While there won’t be a new trial for the Sorrow of Werlyt questline in Patch 5.3, this storyline will still continue in a new instanced solo-player battle against a new boss.
Unreal Trials
Unreal Trials are a new twist on older content. The older trials from previous patches and the aim is to make them challenging again. You can still steamroll them with high-level jobs and good play, but it’s a good way to revive older content for veteran players. The first of these additions will be an updated version of Shiva that has adjusted HP pools and new mechanics.
There will also be a new mini-game added in Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 that includes something interesting but currently unknown called Faux Hollows. There are already many different mini-game in FF14, so what’s one more?
Resistance Weapons Update, Tool Upgrades and The Bozjan Southern Front
The 5.35 patch will also bring new gear options into the fold. There will be a new questline tying into the existing Save the Queen questline that allows players to update their Resistance Weapons. This will allow for better power scaling into the later content in the game. The general feel of the revamped system seems to be that Square Enix wants players to be able to take on tougher bosses and missions. This is partly being done by increasing player power, but by also streamlining content overall.
Another revamp comes to crafting in that crafters and gatherers will be given a new tier of Skysteel Tools to unlock. This gear will have higher stats and better base yields compared to the previous top-end tools for these classes from some sources. Although it’s very unlikely that these will outperform the Dwarven Beast Tribe Tools.
New Dwarven Beast Tribe
The Dwarves will be the new Beast Tribe for Patch 5.3. This will mark the inclusion of a new crafting tribe for Shadowbringers. Players get some new quests to take on to unlock more powerful gear and crafting options. The tribe will be moved over to the Lakeland zone, which will have story reasons behind it, as told in the new Chapter 2 content.
