Looking to the Future: FFXIV v7.x and Beyond

[Aucald]

With Endwalker and the 6.x patches seemingly wrapping up the Scions story arc that's been a staple of FFXIV since ARR, what do you think the new story arc for FFXIV will be like? I'm personally unsure if the 6.x content will end our exploration of the Thirteenth, but I'm kind of hoping that the Thirteenth gets the same overall treatment that the First got in Shadowbringers.

[Maljinwo]

We can explore the New World, to the west of Eorzea

Theres still the matter of rebuilding Dalmasca and the ones that escaped the Bozja campaign

Lots of unexplored corners of Ilsabard

Even then we can maybe visit the other Reflections

[Val the Moofia Boss]

Given how Yoshi-P has been hurrying to discard the long running subplots as quickly as possible, I expect the Thirteenth storyline to be wrapped up within the 6.X patches. 7.0 will probably be whatever new stuff Yoshi-P has been desperate to get to, be it the New World, Meracydia, or another world. Given how Yoshi lied about us getting a brand new cast in 6.X, I fully expect the Scions to continue to be the main focus.

I'm kind of hoping that the Thirteenth gets the same overall treatment that the First got in Shadowbringers.

The Thirteenth will be lucky if it even gets a zone in the patches.

Theres still the matter of rebuilding Dalmasca and the ones that escaped the Bozja campaign

Matsuno's Dalmasca storyline was canned because "people don't want war stories". RIP.

[MsSideEye]

With Endwalker and the 6.x patches seemingly wrapping up the Scions story arc that's been a staple of FFXIV since ARR, what do you think the new story arc for FFXIV will be like? I'm personally unsure if the 6.x content will end our exploration of the Thirteenth, but I'm kind of hoping that the Thirteenth gets the same overall treatment that the First got in Shadowbringers.

Honestly, that's probably the more exciting thing about the upcoming content is the fact that they could pretty much go anywhere they want. The only thing I'm unsure about is just how much of the Thirteenth we've really got TO explore, considering the fact that the entire place was lost to darkness to the point where even the Ascians were kinda just going 'Nah, we're not going to be there'. Outside of the three story threads we've got involving the Thirteenth (Golbez/Four Fiends, Zeno's Reaper Spirit, and the final dragon sibling), I'd think it would be hard to do an entire expansion around it. Maybe make it a single zone for 7.0? It really depends on the story they craft.

We can explore the New World, to the west of Eorzea

Theres still the matter of rebuilding Dalmasca and the ones that escaped the Bozja campaign

Lots of unexplored corners of Ilsabard

Even then we can maybe visit the other Reflections

I'll honestly be surprised if Dalmasca really becomes more of a thing in the game, if only because how much of that content is already there in other games. It feels to me like if we were going super deep into Dalmasca, it would be porting over a lot from those other games that might take out some of the fun of playing them. That said, I wouldn't have thought we'd had gotten as much dealing with it and Bozja in the first place, so who knows.

That said, if I had to say any particular part would be future expansion material it would likely be the New World, considering the fact that we've got a mount we can grind that comes from there seeming to hint at it being major future content, like how we've had a lot of Thavnair items and the like building up towards Endwalker.

I could also see Islabard's unexplored areas being a big thing too, but the question is would we want to stay so close to Eorzea at this point?

Given how Yoshi-P has been hurrying to discard the long running subplots as quickly as possible, I expect the Thirteenth storyline to be wrapped up within the 6.X patches. 7.0 will probably be whatever new stuff Yoshi-P has been desperate to get to, be it the New World, Meracydia, or another world. Given how Yoshi lied about us getting a brand new cast in 6.X, I fully expect the Scions to continue to be the main focus.

Where exactly did Yoshi-P 'Lie' to us about getting a brand new cast in 6.X? Not only that, what sense would that make for a story based game? 'Oh hey, my friends that I've more or less become family with, we beat the big bird lady that's been responsible for things since ARR, so go away, I want a brand new crowd now!'

Yeah, that sounds kinda silly, doesn't it?

If anything, I expect the Scions to be constantly there no matter what, but the roles they play will likely be cutback in the future. right now especially we're still in that 'clean up from leftover threads' before we've got in EVERY expansion, what with Pandemonium, the raid with the 12, and Tataru's whole sidequest thing.

And last I checked, the only 'subplot' that has been a thing in the game that they've seemed to have abandoned is Y'shtola's use of being able to see killing her, though I'm still expecting that to come back up to bite the characters in the ass sooner rather than later. I also don't know what the hell you're talking about discarding 'long running subplots as quickly as possible'.

The Thirteenth will be lucky if it even gets a zone in the patches.

As I said above, just how much of the Thirteenth is even left TO explore? If anything, it wouldn't be too much different from the blank white area back in Shadowbringers that had been blotted out by the wave of Light. Not exactly the most interesting of places and there are other areas in the game you can go into if all you want is 'travesty, destruction, and other things that make you feel bad.'

Especially with most, if not all, the Ascians done and gone with, what's even the point of GOING there outside of the above reasons? I'd rather explore someplace that actually further develops the world as a whole then a dead shard.

Matsuno's Dalmasca storyline was canned because "people don't want war stories". RIP.

Except that's not what was said. What was said was they felt like it wasn't the right time to be giving players ANOTHER war story when things have currently been as hellish in the real world as is. The point of ANY video game is to entertain and be enjoyable. Sometimes, war stories are enjoyable. But there's also a point where you've got to think 'Enough is enough for now, maybe again in the future, but we're done for the time being.'

There are interviews to imply that future stories might be made, but as it is they're taking a break from things.

[Dartz1979]

With Endwalker and the 6.x patches seemingly wrapping up the Scions story arc that's been a staple of FFXIV since ARR, what do you think the new story arc for FFXIV will be like? I'm personally unsure if the 6.x content will end our exploration of the Thirteenth, but I'm kind of hoping that the Thirteenth gets the same overall treatment that the First got in Shadowbringers.

As long as i have my in game gf y'shtola with me at all times i am good to go

[Aucald]

As long as i have my in game gf y'shtola with me at all times i am good to go

Based on the 6.x content thus far, I doubt Y'shtola is going anywhere - she seems pretty focused on mastering the knack of traveling between reflections, so I would assume she's going to be involved in any story that deals with world-hopping.

- - - Updated - - -

Honestly, that's probably the more exciting thing about the upcoming content is the fact that they could pretty much go anywhere they want. The only thing I'm unsure about is just how much of the Thirteenth we've really got TO explore, considering the fact that the entire place was lost to darkness to the point where even the Ascians were kinda just going 'Nah, we're not going to be there'. Outside of the three story threads we've got involving the Thirteenth (Golbez/Four Fiends, Zeno's Reaper Spirit, and the final dragon sibling), I'd think it would be hard to do an entire expansion around it. Maybe make it a single zone for 7.0? It really depends on the story they craft.

I was kind of envisioning the Thirteenth as a broken world of floating island-like regions amidst a sea of shadow energies, like disconnected shoals in the darkness. We may find kingdoms full of people who've managed to survive and even thrive to a degree despite the post-apocalyptic nature of their world, and of course, have to deal with moral quandaries along the way - like civilizations who've been forced to resort to parasitism and raiding to exist due to the resource-poor state of whatever lands they've managed to hold onto. There are probably greater-scope villains to contend with, as well; the Four Fiends, the Golbez expy, whatever is left of Zenos' shade, etc. (assuming those aren't disposed of in the 6.x arc).

Beyond that, though, 7.0 remains more or less an open book. We could conceivably go anywhere and do anything - from Meracydia to Aerslant and anywhere in between, really.

- - - Updated - - -

Given how Yoshi-P has been hurrying to discard the long running subplots as quickly as possible, I expect the Thirteenth storyline to be wrapped up within the 6.X patches. 7.0 will probably be whatever new stuff Yoshi-P has been desperate to get to, be it the New World, Meracydia, or another world. Given how Yoshi lied about us getting a brand new cast in 6.X, I fully expect the Scions to continue to be the main focus.

I didn't really consider that a "lie," so to speak - I think the Scions are mostly done as an NGO directing the game's major focus, but I didn't think they'd abandon long-running and beloved characters among the Scions completely, either. I think they will introduce new and hopefully inspired characters in 7.0 as the story movies forward, and any number of those could become semi-permanent or permanent fixtures as well, as Estinien eventually became. I fully expect cameos and even minor arcs involving Y'Shtola, Alphinaud, Alisaie, and the rest to crop up from time to time.

[Ghost of Cow]

I have to admit that a Post-Zodiark/Hydaelyn FFXIV feels like a post-Thanos MCU to me.

Nothing against it specifically, my interest just...faded a bit. But whatever 7.0 brings, I'm sure I'll be back for it, as I always am. I just don't find myself thinking about what the story will be very much now.

[Polybius]

I think Emet-Selch advertised future content towards the end of EW.

[Osmeric]

Based on the 6.x content thus far, I doubt Y'shtola is going anywhere - she seems pretty focused on mastering the knack of traveling between reflections, so I would assume she's going to be involved in any story that deals with world-hopping.

It's so she can get back to her lion guy boyfriend. I expect G'raha Tia will also get back to Lyna.

[Xilurm]

Hard to say honestly. I initially thought that it was building up to go to the Thirteenth but it seems we're already about to resolve that plot point?

Also I reckon the trial series are going to be the 4 elemental thrones we saw in that one cutscene which had the Black Knight in it. And then there's Zenos's avatar.

Plenty of threads to follow. Not to mention all the hints Emet gave us at the end of Endwalker.

[Aucald]

I have to admit that a Post-Zodiark/Hydaelyn FFXIV feels like a post-Thanos MCU to me.

Nothing against it specifically, my interest just...faded a bit. But whatever 7.0 brings, I'm sure I'll be back for it, as I always am. I just don't find myself thinking about what the story will be very much now.

The Godzilla threshold thing with Endwalker was and still is kind of a concern for me, as well. Having traveled to the end of the universe to grapple with a veritable goddess of oblivion and dealing with the reality of multiple vanquished civilizations kind of feels like a difficult act to follow with a more terrestrial or low-stakes adventure. But I personally kind of felt reinvested with the exploration of the Thirteenth in 6.x, and I'm kind of hoping that's a jumping-off point for the direction of 7.0. Just the sense that there is more out there, and that includes antagonists we didn't know about previously.

[Lane]

I also suspect the void is going to be wrapped up in the patches simply because there's too much side content tied to it, including needing to have completed all the ShB role quests. There's no possible way to do it justice not to mention the RPR job is also tied to it.

I seem to recall Yoshi-P needing to reassure people that the WoL wasn't going to be left alone in a strange land with no companions because that is what he was making the end of 6.0/"new adventure" sound like only for it to be business as usual with the Scions and their disbandment a public farce. I didn't necessarily want a complete clean slate, but I am disappointed with what we've gotten so far. I think EW highlighted how homogeneous and redundant many of the Scions are, so I was looking forward to having a break from them and meeting some new characters/acquiring more diverse party members.

I feel like the most interesting parts of the story were rushed to a conclusion to move onto who knows what in 7.0. I'm basically waiting to see if anything piques my interest in 6.2, but otherwise I may be done with my relatively short stint in the game. It's a shame because I like a lot of the changes they're making and things they're adding as far as gameplay, but EW soured me so much on the story I've lost almost all desire to play.

[KrayZ33]

I have no idea why people believe the void will be resolved in these tiny patches that come before 7.0.

We were just shown some kind of hierarchy involving like... 4(?) major boss-type-guys and one even bigger guy Golbez in the void that are all about: "This plan we had since millennia has to be prioritized and can't fail"
There is no actual "side content" connected to it either. By that same logic, Shadowbringers was tied to the raid ARR raid and couldn't be done properly - or whatever.

What's even to come before 7.0. One dungeon and a trial?
We are probably just closing this portal thing or whatever until we get the means to do some other stuff.

[Shakzor]

What's even to come before 7.0. One dungeon and a trial?
We are probably just closing this portal thing or whatever until we get the means to do some other stuff.

What's to come has been pretty much announced already and it is more than plentyful
This first result already has plenty of info. The only thing they haven't announced, is what the stories/bosses of everything are gonna be or how some systems may change. But when Tier 2 raid or final Alliance Raid will happen for example, is already set in stone

[Delever]

Honestly, that's probably the more exciting thing about the upcoming content is the fact that they could pretty much go anywhere they want. The only thing I'm unsure about is just how much of the Thirteenth we've really got TO explore, considering the fact that the entire place was lost to darkness to the point where even the Ascians were kinda just going 'Nah, we're not going to be there'. Outside of the three story threads we've got involving the Thirteenth (Golbez/Four Fiends, Zeno's Reaper Spirit, and the final dragon sibling), I'd think it would be hard to do an entire expansion around it. Maybe make it a single zone for 7.0? It really depends on the story they craft.



I'll honestly be surprised if Dalmasca really becomes more of a thing in the game, if only because how much of that content is already there in other games. It feels to me like if we were going super deep into Dalmasca, it would be porting over a lot from those other games that might take out some of the fun of playing them. That said, I wouldn't have thought we'd had gotten as much dealing with it and Bozja in the first place, so who knows.

That said, if I had to say any particular part would be future expansion material it would likely be the New World, considering the fact that we've got a mount we can grind that comes from there seeming to hint at it being major future content, like how we've had a lot of Thavnair items and the like building up towards Endwalker.

I could also see Islabard's unexplored areas being a big thing too, but the question is would we want to stay so close to Eorzea at this point?



Where exactly did Yoshi-P 'Lie' to us about getting a brand new cast in 6.X? Not only that, what sense would that make for a story based game? 'Oh hey, my friends that I've more or less become family with, we beat the big bird lady that's been responsible for things since ARR, so go away, I want a brand new crowd now!'

Yeah, that sounds kinda silly, doesn't it?

If anything, I expect the Scions to be constantly there no matter what, but the roles they play will likely be cutback in the future. right now especially we're still in that 'clean up from leftover threads' before we've got in EVERY expansion, what with Pandemonium, the raid with the 12, and Tataru's whole sidequest thing.

And last I checked, the only 'subplot' that has been a thing in the game that they've seemed to have abandoned is Y'shtola's use of being able to see killing her, though I'm still expecting that to come back up to bite the characters in the ass sooner rather than later. I also don't know what the hell you're talking about discarding 'long running subplots as quickly as possible'.



As I said above, just how much of the Thirteenth is even left TO explore? If anything, it wouldn't be too much different from the blank white area back in Shadowbringers that had been blotted out by the wave of Light. Not exactly the most interesting of places and there are other areas in the game you can go into if all you want is 'travesty, destruction, and other things that make you feel bad.'

Especially with most, if not all, the Ascians done and gone with, what's even the point of GOING there outside of the above reasons? I'd rather explore someplace that actually further develops the world as a whole then a dead shard.



Except that's not what was said. What was said was they felt like it wasn't the right time to be giving players ANOTHER war story when things have currently been as hellish in the real world as is. The point of ANY video game is to entertain and be enjoyable. Sometimes, war stories are enjoyable. But there's also a point where you've got to think 'Enough is enough for now, maybe again in the future, but we're done for the time being.'

There are interviews to imply that future stories might be made, but as it is they're taking a break from things.

I m surprised you found the patience to reply. For some reason Val has devolved to giving the shittiest hot takes in nearly all the games hes commenting about to the point where it almost feels intentional.

[KrayZ33]

What's to come has been pretty much announced already and it is more than plentyful
This first result already has plenty of info. The only thing they haven't announced, is what the stories/bosses of everything are gonna be or how some systems may change. But when Tier 2 raid or final Alliance Raid will happen for example, is already set in stone

It might be plentiful in terms of old system reworks and stuff. But not in terms of additional dungeon or trial content that could, potentially, have something to do with the void storyline. Unless they introduce it as a deep-dungeon or something and made it part of the MSQ for some reason (which they most certainly didn't).

What in that list could potentially be conected to the current MSQ string?

[MsSideEye]

I m surprised you found the patience to reply. For some reason Val has devolved to giving the shittiest hot takes in nearly all the games hes commenting about to the point where it almost feels intentional.

As someone whose been a former mod for another forum, has dealt with trolls on the internet on the better part of a decade and a half, and who works in customer service for a living, it's rarely that I ever get snippy. It does happen, but not for someone who clearly is around to hate for hates sake. In that case, it's fun to shoot down their silliness.

[Shakzor]

It might be plentiful in terms of old system reworks and stuff. But not in terms of additional dungeon or trial content that could, potentially, have something to do with the void storyline. Unless they introduce it as a deep-dungeon or something and made it part of the MSQ for some reason (which they most certainly didn't).

What in that list could potentially be conected to the current MSQ string?

Every patch will continue the MSQ. Also, the amount of new dungeons, raids and trials has been pretty much the same since Heavensward or atleast Stormblood. For the deep-dungeon, we get a new one, but what it'll be or if it'll be part of MSQ (unlikely), is yet to be seen.
New dungeons and trials can always be part of new void themes.
Ultimately, we don't know yet if they'll go full void in 6.2+ or just hinted at it for now for future expansions and storylines.

[Aucald]

I have no idea why people believe the void will be resolved in these tiny patches that come before 7.0.

We were just shown some kind of hierarchy involving like... 4(?) major boss-type-guys and one even bigger guy Golbez in the void that are all about: "This plan we had since millennia has to be prioritized and can't fail"
There is no actual "side content" connected to it either. By that same logic, Shadowbringers was tied to the raid ARR raid and couldn't be done properly - or whatever.

What's even to come before 7.0. One dungeon and a trial?
We are probably just closing this portal thing or whatever until we get the means to do some other stuff.

That's kind of where my head was at, as well. The Void and its denizens seem like an awful big plot to seemingly waste on a handful of pre-7.0 patches, and 6.x has only done the barest touching on the subject. Obviously, we can't know where 7.0 will take us yet, but I'd be surprised if the Void didn't figure into it. I could also envision something of a split focus like Endwalker had between Old Sharlayan and Thavnair, with a journey to a new location on Eorzia that offers up the means for us to traverse the Void more safely, building on what the revelations in Thavnair offered up.

[Cattleya]

Even under the assumption that they'll handle the void purely in MSQ content, that gives 4 dungeons and at least one trial to deal with the four fiends and Golbez. We already know the 6.2 dungeon for starters is a void dungeon

Beyond that, there is also the possibility the four fiends + golbez tease was just a tie-in to the upcoming trial series, which they've been very silent about, wouldn't be the first time something shows up briefly in MSQ but is then handled in sidequests (Weapons storyline did it just one expansion ago)

Ultimately the problem I see with the void as an expansion focus is the fact that it's just dead. Ascians wrote it off, all we ever see of it is dead chunks of rock, ruins and a dark purple sky. No towns, no NPCs, nothing (barring a timeskip and massive expedition to set up towns and NPCs)

So yeah personally I think the void will be handled in the patch content. But hey, there's always a chance I'm wrong

That said, I don't know how they'll pace it. Like there's no way they're making all four remaining patch dungeons, void dungeons. Too samey. Maybe they'll throw in solo duties where we fight some of them. Could even deviate from the expected formula and throw in an MSQ trial in 6.5 (though i don't *expect* them to, it's a possibility)

As for 7.0..well, Meracydia and the new world remain my prominent guesses. Eventually one of them will be correct