Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail kicks off the MMO's next 10-year adventure

Final Fantasy 14's next big expansion is called Dawntrail, and it launches in summer 2024.

Director and producer Naoki Yoshida has taken to the stage at Fan Fest to deliver a keynote about the chonky update, punctuating the moment with a big ol' trailer. Things started with the Warrior of Light out on the sea before we got some familiar shots of old faces and locations greatly explored. From Thancred to Y'shtola, the whole gang is here.

As for the story, Yoshida says he wants the next expansion to feel like the best summer vacation ever, and that the theme colour is gold. The location will be Tural, with the story pushing us forward being a succession issue. As you can imagine, the story begins when someone from the New World comes to our lands.

Yoshi-P also teases tension. The Scions will be here, though will soon become divided over that same succession issue. Who will join your side and who will oppose? You'll have to wait and find out, we're afraid.

Touching further on the theme past the colour of gold, Yoshi-P says it'll be that of discovery. Final Fantasy 14 patch 7.0 is a milestone moment for the long-running MMO for several reasons. The last expansion, Endwalker, wrapped up a story that spanned over 10 years. While post-expansion patches have dabbled in answering the question of what's next narratively, patch 7.0 stands to be the clearest display of that yet. The patch will contain a story in itself and provide a start of what adventures we'll get up to for the next 10 years of the hit MMO. 

This story is developing . . .

What new jobs are coming in Final Fantasy 14 7.0? If Sakaguchi has his way, it'll be the Beastmaster.