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The Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) has had a rollercoaster ride of expansions. It all started with a complete disaster and turned into a cherished masterpiece that gets updated almost daily. So much so that it has won the Best Ongoing Video Game award previously, so prepare to dive into the world of Final Fantasy XIV with its amazing free trial system and paid expansions. Each expansion brings new gameplay elements and expands the story lore and map available to players.
How Final Fantasy XIV’s Trial and Expansions Work
Final Fantasy XIV‘s trial is free to play up to level 70 with some restrictions. That means you can test the waters before diving into the full game. The base game, A Realm Reborn, is like the foundation of a building — it sets the stage for the story and introduces you to the world of Eorzea. The patches are like fancy decorations that add a little extra bling to the game. They bring new dungeons, challenges, and other exciting content to keep you engaged. Once you’ve covered all the base game content, you’ll need to move on to the expansions. While you might think this is like other MMOs where you can skip expansions, FFXIV doesn’t work like that. Here, you have to progress through the story and see it all.
A Realm Reborn’s Free Patches
After ARR ends, you’ll go through a chunk of post-game content in the form of Final Fantasy XIV expansion patches. Though they are technically part of the same expansion, they are updates that come right after the base game.
- In December 2013, Final Fantasy XIV released A Realm Awoken (2.1). This release added new dungeons, raids, extreme difficulty instances, and the Crystal Tower and Hildibrand narrative arcs.
- The Through the Maelstrom Patch (2.2) came in March 2014, introducing new challenges and dungeons.
- Defenders of Eorzea (2.3) was released in July 2014, featuring new narrative arcs and three bonus dungeons.
- Final Fantasy XIV Expansion Dreams of Ice (2.4), released on October 17, 2014, included the Ninja evolution craft and new dungeons and challenges.
- Before the Fall (2.5) was the last free update, released in two parts in January and March 2015, and closed, the story started in A Real Reborn and other later arcs. It also added new content, including Chocobo racing.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Expansion 1: Heavensward
In June 2015, FFXIV released an expansion that brought a holy headquarters in Ishgard, serving as the base of operations for a story about the war against Dravania, which began with an investigation into the capital’s uprising. The update added six new zones in Coerthas, Dravania, and Abalathia. But most importantly, it finally allowed players to fly on mounts.
The level cap for classes and trades was raised to 60, making the grind even more real, and players got to play as the Au Ra race, bringing even more diversity to the game. Three new jobs were introduced: Dark Knight, Machinist, and Astrologian.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Expansion 2: Stormblood
In 2017, FFXIV launched its next expansion, which shifted the focus to liberating the Ala Mhigo and Doma regions from the Garlean Empire’s clutches. With a new main area in the form of Kugane, players could level up to 70 and explore six new zones. This expansion also expanded the combat options for each craft and introduced two new ones: Red Mage and Samurai.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Expansion 3: Shadowbringers
The FFXIV expansion dropped on July 2, 2019, and takes us to the First of Worlds, where we must restore order as warriors of darkness. We’re given six new zones to explore and two new cities to visit: Crystarium and Eulmone. On the gameplay side, we see the level cap increase to 80, and two new races, Viera and Hrothgar, join the fray, along with two new professions, Gunbreaker and Dancer.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Expansion 4: Endwalker
Endwalker was unleashed upon the world on December 3, 2021. This was the culmination of a 10-year story arc that finally saw all Warriors of Light face Zodiark and the embodiment of despair itself. It was one of the best expansions the MMO had and one that gave our characters a sense of closure after years of fighting.
Final Fantasy XIV’s Expansion 5: Dawntrail
The most recent expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is Dawntrail, which is a sort of “new beginning” for our Warriors of Light. We visit the lands of Tural while helping Wuk Lamat win the Rite of Succession. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy story without some world-threatening situations and the usual franchise’s shenanigans. While it didn’t have the same high moments as Endwalker or Shadowbringers, it felt like a fresh beginning for our characters who deserve a break, however long that lasted in Dawntrail.
