Every girl deserves to feel like a princess, and so once again Ul’dah is dressed in precious peach-colored décor to celebrate Little Ladies’ Day. So too are the realm’s celebrants dressed in their finest fashion, all hoping to be crowned winner in this year’s Little Ladies’ Day walk-off! If you believe you have what it takes to be a style icon, there may be someone willing to help as you strut your way to victory.

Read on for details.

'Tis the season to share love of all kinds, and Lisette de Valentione and her associates aim to spread ardor and affection across Eorzea as only they can. As per custom, cities and residential areas the realm over will be bedecked with an impressive array of festive hearts that promise to put you in a rosy mood.

See the special site for details.

* Certain items available during previous iterations of the event can be obtained via the All Saints' Wake vendor.

* Following the postponement of Endwalker’s release date, the Heavensturn seasonal event will begin on Wednesday, January 5, a day after the release of Patch 6.05. Prior to this, Heavensturn decorations will appear starting on Friday, December 31.

The Heavensturn festival is upon us once again, and delegates from the Far East have arrived to spread word of their customary celebration. To this end, the tora bugyo would enlist your aid in spreading word across Eorzea to ensure the success of the festivities. Join the celebration and earn fun new rewards!

Read on for details.

* Certain items available during previous iterations of the event can be obtained via the Seasonal Shop.

We are pleased to announce that FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker, our fourth expansion, is now available!

Starting today, those who did not participate in the early access period can now begin their journey. We hope you enjoy everything Endwalker has to offer!

• Read the 6.0 patch notes.
• Read details on how to register Endwalker to your account.

* Users playing on Windows/Steam/Mac may now redeem their full registration codes to play Endwalker. As a reminder, users who registered an early access code will also need to register the full registration code to continue playing Endwalker once the early access period ends.
* PlayStation®5/PlayStation®4 users will be prompted to tie their Endwalker license to their service account the next time they log into the game.

Count down the days to the release of Endwalker with a new, breathtaking illustration each day, courtesy of the FFXIV Art team!

As previously announced, Patch 6.0 will be introducing measures to control the inflation of in-game values. This downscaling will result in numerical values appearing smaller than before, but will not impact overall game balance.

In the 67th Letter from the Producer LIVE held on Saturday, 6 November, we explained that EXP downscaling will involve overwriting the player character database.

Ideally, each character’s current EXP levels would be individually assessed, adjusted, and overwritten to fit the new value scale. However, since every character has over thirty-five pertinent data sets, the total number of sets to be analysed would exceed two billion (over ten billion bytes of data), making case-by-case adjustment unfeasible. Instead, uniform adjustments will be implemented, which will cause any EXP accumulated between levels to be reduced to zero for all players. We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause, and thank you for your understanding.

Greetings FINAL FANTASY XIV players. This is Producer & Director, Naoki Yoshida.

First and foremost, I would like to extend my thanks to everyone playing FINAL FANTASY XIV and looking forward to our upcoming expansion pack, Endwalker. However, it is with great regret that I must inform you of some unfortunate news just before our scheduled launch date, and I would like you to read the following in full.

Postponing the Release of Endwalker

I am incredibly sorry to share this so close to launch, but I have decided to postpone the release of Endwalker. The original release date was scheduled for Tuesday, November 23, 2021, but I have decided to delay the release by two weeks. As such, the expansion pack will now be released on Tuesday, December 7, 2021.

There are several reasons for the postponement, but as I’m the one overseeing all aspects of the title as the head of the project, the responsibility falls solely on me. Allow me to convey my sincerest apologies to our players, our Warriors of Light around the world who have been looking so forward to the release of Endwalker. I am truly sorry.

The new schedule, including Early Access, is outlined below.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker

Official Release: Tuesday, December 7, 2021
Start of Early Access: Friday, December 3, 2021

Patch 6.01 Scheduled Release: Tuesday, December 21, 2021
Patch 6.05 Scheduled Release: Tuesday, January 4, 2022

Reasons for the Schedule Change

The biggest factor behind the release date change was my own selfishness as the game’s director. Ever since I was placed in charge of the original FFXIV, I’ve continued the development and operations for FFXIV over the past 11 years while always endeavoring to balance my position as the producer overseeing the project and the director in charge of development. It was my intention to work in this same manner as we approached the final stages of Endwalker’s development.

As I have mentioned previously in interviews and during live streams, Endwalker will be the largest expansion pack in the history of FFXIV. It has been a huge undertaking, but we proceeded with development following plans that would allow us to make it in time for the originally scheduled release date, although admittedly everything would be down right to the wire.

However, as we neared the end of development and I played through everything—from quests to battle content and the like—I just couldn’t contain my desire to further improve Endwalker’s quality, specifically because this expansion pack marks the first major culmination of events in FFXIV so far. Even as we look beyond Endwalker, the FFXIV story will continue for a long time and we hope to deliver many more enjoyable experiences in the game. However, it was precisely because Endwalker concludes the first major saga that I felt our team needed to push ourselves to the “limits” that I envisioned.

As a result, we remained firmly resolved to adjust down to the smallest nuances and ensure our writing covers even the finest points of the vast and intricate story that has spanned these past 11 years since the original FFXIV to ensure that everyone can fully enjoy their adventure in Endwalker. Unfortunately, the consequence of this was that we ended up in a situation where we cut into the time required for final quality assurance checks due to this time spent on additional improvements.

At this rate, there was a bigger risk of us reaching the release date without ensuring “stability” as one form of quality, and for that reason, I have decided to postpone the release at this time. As we also anticipate large amounts of congestion across all game Worlds, I felt that even in this respect it wouldn’t be right for us to release the expansion while lacking adequate “stability.” I am truly sorry.

When I look at my own career, up until now I have never postponed a previously announced release date (although I did once shift a release from Spring to early Summer...) and, when I also considered that many players had already made arrangements such as taking days off work in preparation for the original release date, I was incredibly torn between whether or not we should cut down the expansion pack’s volume or even release content in installments. As such, I humbly ask you all to forgive me for the decision I’ve made.

Final Remarks and Looking Toward the Future

While we have postponed the release date by two weeks, I believe we have been able to successfully depict Endwalker’s story because we set forth on this long journey developing and operating FFXIV together with the players. While we will require a little longer until the expansion pack’s release, please rest assured that we will continue investing every ounce of our strength into development and operations in order to deliver an immersive adventure to our players.

Once more I would like to convey my sincerest apologies for the inconvenience caused to our players and colleagues due to my own shortcomings. I sincerely apologize for this decision.

We will continue to do our utmost to bring you the best experience not only in Endwalker but also through further updates and content that will follow, restoring your trust one step at a time.

Naoki Yoshida

FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer & Director

We will be carrying out server maintenance on 02/11/2021, starting at 09:00 CET (04:00 EDT). The maintenance period is expected to last approximately 3 hours. All game servers will not be reachable during this time.

 

Additional Information:

• This is a standard maintenance for the optimization of our servers

The layout of your Home page has been changed.

Rearrangements and adjustments have been made to the displays of character level, currencies, achievements and other in-game activity, community activity, as well as blog entries and other activity on the Lodestone.

Log in to the Lodestone to view the latest updates to your character's status and activity.

In order to ensure players can continue to safely enjoy their time in FINAL FANTASY XIV, we have made changes to the “Prohibited Activities,” as well as the related “Account Penalty Policy.”

Follow the links below to view the updated documentation:

• Prohibited Activities in FINAL FANTASY XIV
• Account Penalty Policy

　

Although we have not updated the SQUARE ENIX Account Terms of Use, the FINAL FANTASY XIV User Agreement, or the FINAL FANTASY XIV Materials Usage License, we encourage players to take this opportunity to review and become familiarized with them once again.　

The following changes have been made.

Addition of two prohibited activities related to the Party Finder as countermeasures against vendors of real money trading (RMT)

Update

In response to RMT vendors repeatedly creating fraudulent recruitment listings in the Party Finder, the following two activities related to the Party Finder have been added to the list of prohibited activities.

Reason for the Update

Until now, when we discovered fraudulent recruitment listings by RMT vendors in the Party Finder, we first investigated for RMT activity before issuing penalties. However, many of these listings directed users to external websites, meaning an extensive process was required to substantiate allegations of RMT activity. This meant these fraudulent listings were routinely visible on a daily basis, a situation which has persisted until now.

Furthermore, as RMT vendors disregard normal gameplay and are only concerned with RMT activity, many of their fraudulent recruitment listings were created in the "Duty Roulette" category of the Party Finder. This meant that they were prominently visible upon opening the Party Finder menu, which became a major hindrance during normal gameplay.

Although various methods were considered for resolving this issue, in the interest of taking swift action without requiring extensive investigations, we have deemed it necessary to prohibit the advertising of RMT services and the creation of recruitment listings in incorrect categories within the Party Finder, actions which are routinely done by RMT vendors.

We apologize for the relatively restrictive nature of these changes compared to how the Party Finder was being used until now, and appreciate your understanding.

Below are details regarding the prohibited behaviors which have been added.

Advertising offers to help clear content, to help earn loot, etc. via the Party Finder

It is prohibited to advertise using the Party Finder to offer help to clear duties or obtain items (to help people clear raid content or obtain items by having them join your party). A penalty will be issued if the act has been confirmed.

This prohibits the act of advertising such support and does not prohibit those asking for help themselves through the use of the Party Finder.

It is not a violation to ask for help or to offer a reward when asking for help, as in the following examples that do not violate our policy. However, in the examples that do violate the policy, the person offering help is advertising their services, which is prohibited.

Examples of violations:

- Selling [duty] clear for 1 million gil.

- Selling [duty] clear and/or offering the associated rewards from [content]. Join for more info/details.

Examples of non-violation:

- I'm new, can anyone help me clear [duty]?

- Help me clear [duty] and I'll pay you 1 million gil!

- I'd like to get some items from [duty]. will pay 1 million gil if I can get it.

Please note that Square Enix may conduct investigations and issue a penalty in its discretion even if a report has not been filed.

Other solicitations that fall far outside of the intended purpose of the Party Finder

The main purpose of the Party Finder is to recruit members to participate in content. Any recruitment listing that does not match its intended category is prohibited.

The "Other" category is intended for recruiting players to participate in content that is not listed in the listed categories. However, as an exception, the "Other" category may be used for the sake of recruiting members to form a community, or conduct exchanges between players. Examples of these include:

- Promoting player events

- Housing-related promotions

- Advertising for the purchase and sale of items

- Recruitment of members for community groups such as Linkshells and Free Companies

* It is prohibited to list any of the above in categories other than the "Other" category.

* If Square Enix determines that certain Party Finder listings involve prohibited activities, such as attempts to disguise RMT activity, the Party Finder listing will be removed along with a penalty being issued.

Please note that Square Enix may conduct investigations and issue a penalty in its discretion even if a report has not been filed.

Adjustments to the Prohibited Activities documentation for clarification and addition of prohibited activities that were previously announced　

Update

Prohibited activities that were previously announced, such as purchasing a housing plot with the intention of resale, have been added to the list.

Additionally, the differences between “stalking” and “improper following,” as well as details regarding obstruction of play have been updated for clarity with additional information and adjustments.

Addition of detailed explanations and examples of prohibited activities

Update

Sections regarding prohibited activities that primarily arise from communication-related conflicts have been updated with explanations and examples where possible.

Reason for the Update

Until now, prohibited activities were listed without specific details in order to prevent exploitation and abuse of the rules. However, we received feedback suggesting that the lack of detail made it difficult to understand what constitutes a violation which could lead to overly sensitive reactions to non-violations or violations of the rules despite efforts to abide by them.

Our rules are established with the intention of allowing players to enjoy the game with peace of mind, and were not meant to become a source of anxiety for our players. As such, we have made changes with emphasis on clarity.

However, there are innumerable expressions used in communication, and the provided examples do not cover every possible instance. Therefore, these examples should be seen as a reference for learning more about prohibited behavior, or for situations where you are uncertain about how to act or what to say.

Other minor text adjustments

　

Addition of explanation for Penalty Points

Update

An explanation regarding Penalty Points has been added.

Reason for the Update

Penalty Points refer to specific point values that are assigned to each type of violation category (i.e. “obscene/indecent expressions,” “aggressive expressions such as violent language/slander/insults/threats, etc.”) and vary depending on the severity of the violation type. The total sum of these Penalty Points determines the type of penalty an offender will receive. Penalty Points, together with the actual penalty issued, are recorded and will be used to determine the penalties issued for any future violations.

Although Penalty Points were internal information and therefore were not publicly explained until now, we have added an explanation as they are essential in understanding the system of “Reduction of Penalty Points” mentioned below. Note that there are no changes to the procedures themselves at this time.

Implementation of a system in which accrued Penalty Points may be reduced based on the number of days that have passed since the previous penalty

Update

A system has been implemented in which accrued Penalty Points may be reduced if a significant amount of time has passed since the last penalty was issued.

Reason for the Update

Penalties are intended to urge offenders to reflect on their violations and discourage repeat violations; however, we have confirmed cases where the permanence of past penalties instead led offenders to commit subsequent violations. For example, offenders might think, “Penalties won’t go away anyway,” and may repeat violations without remorse, or commit the same violation again as their remorse fades over time.

We felt that setting decay periods for Penalty Points would provide users with a clear goal in correcting their behavior, and decided to implement this system in order to better promote reflection and conscious restraint from repeating past violations.

Since penalties would lose their significance if they were erased after a short period, Penalty Points accrued from penalties of the lowest severity (a Caution) will not start decaying until at least one year has passed. Those involving a “temporary service account suspension,” or more severe, will not start decaying until a minimum of a three to six-year period has passed. We believe users who manage to maintain good in-game behavior during this period will not suddenly forget their long-term commitment even if the reduction system completely erases their accrued Penalty Points.

The reduction of accrued points is based on the amount of time that has passed since the last penalty. Therefore, if a subsequent violation is committed before a reduction occurs, then the countdown towards a reduction will reset at that point. In addition, this system will not reverse a Service Account Termination.

Refer to the Account Penalty Policy for general information regarding decay periods for Penalty Points.

Other minor text adjustments

　

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We thank you all for your continued support, and will continue to update and review our rules and policies to ensure our players can safely enjoy their time in FINAL FANTASY XIV.

• 

Patch 6.0 will see several changes to Allagan tomestones and scrips, including the removal of Allagan tomestones of phantasmagoria, as well as red crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips.

Players carrying any of these currencies are advised to exchange them before the start of Patch 6.0 maintenance.

Tomestones

New Tomestones

Two new types of tomestones will be added, which can only be obtained after reaching level 90 with at least one class or job.

Regarding Existing Tomestones

Allagan Tomestones of Allegory and Revelation

• These tomestones will no longer be obtainable.

All trials and duties that currently yield these tomestones will instead offer Allagan tomestones of poetics or the new Allagan tomestone currency.

• Players will no longer be able to exchange these tomestones for items.

Although Allagan tomestones of allegory and revelation will not be removed in Patch 6.0, items obtained through their exchanges will be made available through other means.

Allagan Tomestones of Phantasmagoria

With the release of Patch 6.0, all Allagan tomestones of phantasmagoria in the possession of players will be removed.
* Players currently carrying Allagan tomestones of phantasmagoria are advised to exchange them for Allagan tomestones of allegory by speaking with Auriana in Revenant’s Toll (X:22.7 Y: 6.7) prior to the scheduled maintenance for Patch 6.0.

Allagan Tomestones of Poetics

Allagan tomestones of poetics will be obtainable from trials and duties up to level 80, as well as the Duty Roulette.

Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrips

New Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrips

A new type of crafters’ scrip and gatherers’ scrip will be added, which can be obtained when exchanging collectable items starting at level 90.

Regarding Existing Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrips

Yellow Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrips

• These scrips will no longer be obtainable.

In accordance with this change, all yellow crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips rewards will be changed to white crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips, and the amount awarded will be adjusted.
* After the release of Patch 6.0, players will be able to exchange yellow crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips for white crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips respectively by speaking with the scrip exchange in Revenant’s Toll (X:22.7 Y: 6.7) and other locations.

• Although yellow crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips will not be removed in Patch 6.0, players will no longer be able to exchange them for items.

Items currently obtained with yellow crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips will be obtained with white crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips respectively by speaking with the scrip exchange, with some exceptions which are listed below.

Items that will no longer be obtainable via exchange

• Crafted items

* These items can still be synthesized after Patch 6.0.

• Goblin Cup and Goblin Dice

* With the release of Patch 6.0, these items will become unobtainable but can still be exchanged for equipment and materia by speaking with Grinmox in Idyllshire (X:6.6 Y:7.4).

• Blue Crafters’ Scrip Tokens

Red Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrips

With the release of Patch 6.0, all red crafters’ and gatherers’ scrips in the possession of players will be removed from the game.
* Players currently carrying these scrips are advised to exchange them for yellow crafters' and gatherers' scrips by speaking with the scrip exchange in Revenant's Toll (X:22.4 Y:6.7) and other locations prior to the scheduled maintenance for Patch 6.0.

Items that can no longer be crafted or gathered as collectables as of Patch 5.3

• Players will no longer be able to exchange these items for crafters’ or gatherers’ scrips.

* Players currently carrying these items are advised to exchange them for crafters’ or gatherers’ scrips by speaking with the collectable dealer in Revenant's Toll (X:22.3 Y:6.7) prior to the scheduled maintenance for Patch 6.0.
* The collectable dealer will only be available until the start of Patch 6.0 maintenance.

Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrip Tokens

Blue Crafters’ Scrip Tokens

• These scrip tokens will no longer be obtainable from NPCs.

• Players will no longer be able to exchange these scrip tokens for equipment. After the release of Patch 6.0, equipment currently obtained with blue crafters’ scrip tokens will be obtained with white crafters’ scrips.

Blue Gatherers’ Scrip Tokens

• These scrip tokens will no longer be obtainable from the “Token Reclamation” option when speaking with the splendors vendor NPC in Idyllshire (X:5.7 Y:7.2), but will still be obtainable from the “Token Exchange” option.

• Players will no longer be able to exchange these scrip tokens for equipment. After the release of Patch 6.0, equipment currently obtained with blue gatherers’ scrip tokens will be obtained with white gatherers’ scrips.

Red Crafters’ and Gatherers’ Scrip Tokens

• Players will no longer be able to exchange these scrip tokens for items.

* Players currently carrying these scrip tokens are advised to exchange them for items by speaking with the splendors vendor in Idyllshire (X:5.7 Y:7.2) and other locations prior to the scheduled maintenance for Patch 6.0.

The collaboration event with Dragon Quest X, Breaking Brick Mountains, is returning to Eorzea on October 19! Don’t miss this opportunity to do battle with gargantuan golems and earn rich rewards!

If you’ve previously completed the event, you can replay the quests via the seasonal event replay feature*!

* This event is identical to the one previously held.
* We highly recommend learning more about the seasonal event replay feature on the collaboration special site.

Visit the special site.