The release date of Dawntrail, the next expansion for the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, has finally been revealed. Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida dropped the info during a panel at PAX East. The “summer vacation” expansion, as Yoshida has described it, will release close behind Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
That’s because Dawntrail launches on July 2—yes, we’ve got a summer release for the summer vacation expansion. However, players who preorder the expansions will get early access, which begins four days earlier on June 28. During the PAX East panel, Yoshida joked that Square Enix wanted the early access of Dawntrail to release a week earlier than the current date, but that would have conflicted with Shadow of the Erdtee’s June 21 release date. “I’ll give you one week!” Yoshida said while holding up a single finger to the audience.
Dawntrail has been referred to as a “summer vacation” for the Warriors of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, and the reveal trailer showing off crystal-clear waters and tropical forests in the game’s new world Tural doubles down on that. And we need a break! 2021’s Endwalker wrapped up a decade-long story for the MMO with an emotional climax. Players have earned a little bit of rest! Which is exactly what Dawntrail is looking to offer them (though Yoshida wants to bring back some challenge to the MMO).
During the PAX East panel, Yoshida also revealed some of the in-game bonus content players who pre-order the expansion or purchase the Collector’s Edition will receive. These include Wind-up Zidane and Garnet minions and an Ark mount. The emphasis on Final Fantasy IX-themed content has added fuel to the rumors that a remake of the 2000 title is in the works. Though Yoshida said that the reason for these FF9 references is a secret, many have taken that to mean he is hinting at an FF9 remake—though it’s more likely that the story of Dawntrail will be inspired by the story of FF9 in some way, as past expansions have done with other older entries in the series. Whatever the secret is to these references, fans will be able to find out for themselves when Dawntrail releases this summer.