FFXIV Patch 6.5: Final Update Before Dawntrail! Find out what to expect from the patch, including Stormblood added to free trial, Xbox Series X, and S version announced, and more.

Final Fantasy 14 fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the game’s 5th expansion, Dawntrail, which is scheduled to launch in summer 2023. However, before that, there is one more major content update to look forward to: patch 6.5.

Patch 6.5 is expected to be the final patch of the Endwalker expansion, which began with update 6.0 in December 2022. The patch will likely bring a conclusion to the main story of Endwalker, and also introduce new features and improvements to the game.

So far, the Fan Festival has given us the following news about things that will happen during patch 6.5 (and sub patches to 6.5):

Stormblood Added to Free Trial
First of all, for new players who hesitate to try out the game, now will be your chance, as during patch 6.5, the second expansion of the game, Stormblood, will be added to the free trial. Players will be able to go through the game until the end of Stormblood for free! A great opportunity for anyone new to try out the game before Dawntrail comes out!

Stormblood is the second expansion of Final Fantasy XIV, following Heavensward. It was released in 2017 and received critical acclaim from fans and critics alike. The expansion features a new story that takes players to the eastern lands of Ala Mhigo and Doma, where they must join the resistance against the oppressive Garlean Empire.

Some of the highlights of Stormblood are:

Two cool jobs: the samurai and the red mage

Various dungeons, raids, trials, and zones to explore

Added gameplay mechanics such as swimming and diving

So, plenty to explore and test for free at any time!

Xbox Series X|S Version Announced
A second big announcement revealed that during patch 6.5: the game will finally come to Xbox consoles! Any player possessing an Xbox Series X|S will have the possibility to pick up the game on their console. The official release is planned for spring 2024 only, but during patch 6.5, Xbox players will be able to join the open beta on in order to test the game on their console!

This is a great way for players who do not own a PC or Playstation, to finally join in on the adventures across Eorzea, and soon, Tural!

The Xbox Series X|S version of Final Fantasy XIV will offer several benefits for players, such as:

4K support on Xbox Series X

Faster loading times on both consoles

Cross-play with PC and PlayStation players

Access to all previous expansions and content updates

During the Fan Festival, FFXIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida expressed his excitement about bringing the game to Xbox. 

During the announcement of the Xbox Series X|S partnership with Square Enix for FFXIV, Phil Spencer joined director Naoki Yoshida on stage to express how thrilled he is about this partnership, and welcomed FFXIV to the Xbox Family. He also praised the game as one of the most popular acclaimed MMORPGs in the world, and said he looked forward to working with Square Enix and the FFXIV community. If you want, you can check out a tweet from Spencer about the announcement.

Patch 6.5 Release Date and Details
While we do not know the exact release date of patch 6.5 yet, we can estimate that it will come out sometime in September 2023, based on previous patch cycles. We can also expect to learn more about the patch during the second day of Fan Festival, where Square Enix will reveal more details and previews of the patch.

Some of the things we can anticipate from patch 6.5 are:

Conclusion of the Endwalker main story quest

Third and final installment of the Myths of the Realm alliance raid series

Updates to the Island Sanctuary, which is a new feature where players can cultivate their own land and raise animals

New quests, items, mounts, minions, hairstyles, emotes, and more

As always: stay tuned, because there is much more to come!