After what felt like forever, update 6.1 has arrived for Final Fantasy XIV!
It might go without saying, but this article will spoil the updates from patch 6.1. Proceed with caution!
Now on to the good stuff. Here are some highlights from the patch notes:
It’s time – pray return to The Rising Stones! New Main Scenario Quests have been added, the first one being “Newfound Adventure,” which you can pick up from Tataru in The Rising Stones (X:6.0 Y:5.9) – the closest teleport being Revenant’s Toll in Mor Dhona. You can also unlock the new alliance raid in Old Sharlayan – more on that, including how to unlock it, here.
Housing Savage 2.0
Plots of land in the new housing district, Empyreum, can now be purchased! The new lottery system is implemented for all plots in all wards (you can find more information about the new lottery system on the Lodestone). Also, there will now be designated wards for types of houses – Wards 1-18 will be set for Free Company Housing, and Wards 19-24 will be set for Private Estates.
Please note that while there are no restrictions on being able to teleport to your estates, you must have unlocked access to the Foundation Aetheryte Plaza if you wish to enter Emyreum on your own; via walking in or teleporting from the Aetheryte Plaza. You must also be at least level 50 in one combat class to purchase a real-estate plot.
A Realm Revised
Some MSQ for A Realm Reborn is revised. While they will not affect the overall story, if you are in progress on ‘Operation Archon’ or ‘The Ultimate Weapon’ quests, you will be prompted to abandon the quest and accept the newly designated quest. This change will also affect New Game+.
Some adjustments have been made to some ARR dungeons, including a new warp point in Haukke Manor after the Manor Steward and Manor Jester fight that brings players back to the beginning of the dungeon (no more wasting your return!). Some of the most significant changes to ARR content happened to Cape Westwind, Castrum Meridanum, and The Praetorium.
- Cape Westwind is now a solo instance.
- Castrum Meridianum is now a four-player party, reduced from 8. There have also been some adjustments to boss fights and changes to the progression of the dungeon.
- The Praetorium is now a four-player party, reduced from 8. There have also been some adjustments to boss fights and changes to the progression of the dungeon. Also, the battle with the Ultima Weapon was removed, and the fight with Lahabrea was removed. They have also added the ability to skip some cutscenes.
- The battle with the Ultima Weapon has been reinstated as the new trial ‘The Porta Decumana’, which is now in the rotation for Duty Roulette: Main Scenario.
- The battle with Lahabrea is now a solo instance.
- The amount of Allagan tomestones of poetics earned from these dungeons is reduced.
New items will be available in exchange for bicolor gemstones from Gemstone Trader NPCs in each area.
New craftable items have been added to the company workshop, and new areas and items have been added to subaquatic voyages.
Cactpot, anyone?
Hopefully, you were saving up some MGP. New prizes are added for purchase from The Manderville Gold Saucer, including a new mount, Pod 602, inspired by the Shadowbringers Alliance Raids. There are also new Triple Triad cards and new opponents for you to play against.
Please note: Players must first complete the Chronicles of a New Era quest “Brave New World” to exchange for Pod 602 Identification Key.
The limited-time GARO collaboration has returned! While we don’t know when the event will end at the time of writing this, it’s best to get started as soon as you can, as this event is strictly for PVP, so it might take you some time to unlock the gear and achievements needed. You can find more information on the official Lodestone post.
There is a new PVP mode between small teams; Crystalline Conflict. To participate in this new mode, you must have completed the quest ‘A Pup No Longer’ for your Grand Company. There is also a new reward system for PVP, Series Malmstones, which are rewarded to players who participate in PVP during a given series, which is a time lasting the duration of one major patch cycle (for example, the release of patch 6.1 until the release of 6.2). You can find more information in the official Lodestone update.
Trust System Upgrades
One of the most exciting additions is the Duty Support system. It’s a system that allows solo players to engage in duties with a party of NPCs. It is similar to the trust system that was introduced in Shadowbringers. Scenario Mode in the trust system has now been integrated into the Duty Support system, and you may continue to challenge previously completed MSQ dungeons through the trust system. As of patch 6.1, this new system can be used in A Realm Reborn, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker instanced duties, like Main Scenario dungeons and trials. Duty Support is also planned to be added to both Heavensward and Stormblood content in future patches. You can find more details on the Lodestone.
Adventure Awaits
As you can see, there have been a ton of major and minor changes with the release of FFXIV patch 6.1, as well as updates not outlined in this article, such as crafting and gathering updates, new role quests, new emotes, mounts and minions, UI changes, Job and Class changes, bug fixes, a new EX Trial, a new end game dungeon, and a lot more.
Now, go forth on your Newfound Adventure, Warrior! Check back here for news updates and guides for patch 6.1 and beyond for Final Fantasy 14!