Before playing Dawntrail, FFXIV boss Yoshida recommends revisiting these quests and lore details

The next big Final Fantasy XIV update is almost here as early access approaches on June 28, kicking off a new era of the MMO after weaving a decade’s worth of storytelling. Even for the most enthusiastic of lore hounds, that’s quite a long time to remember so many little details, but during the expansion’s recent media tour rounds, director and producer Naoki Yoshida had a few suggestions on lore details to study.

Perhaps it goes without saying, but stop reading now if you would rather go into Dawntrail knowing as little as possible. The details below contain spoilers for Endwalker and little breadcrumbs leading into Version 7.0.

After spending a full day playing Dawntrail, I wrapped up by attending the Final Fantasy XIV Q&A where Yoshida answered a few regarding the fifth expansion. Among those questions, Yoshida took a moment to answer Destructoid’s, carefully explaining what FFXIV details he’d recommend lore enthusiasts brush up on before playing.

“I’m sure people have already played this,” Yoshida said. “But the most recent Alliance Raid, Myths of the Realm, would probably allow for some background information into more of the lore.”

While Yoshida’s recommendation to complete Endwalker’s latest 24-man wasn’t much of a surprise, his follow-up was far more intriguing:

“Can people name all of the 14 seats of The Convocation? Perhaps that would be a good place to start in terms of digging into XIV lore. To prevent any spoilers, I think we’ll stop there!”

For context, the director has made teases like these in the past, and they’re often vague, though helpful, tips for players trying to recall hundreds of hours of story content. Prior to Endwalker’s 2021 launch, Yoshida told PC Gamer that he recommended completing the Bahamut, Alexander, and Omega raids before jumping in. After experiencing the expansion’s conclusion, I can’t imagine going through without knowing those details, but some raid stories are still segmented from the Main Scenario as optional content.

Players who strictly stick to the MSQ may want to dig into the quests and side stories involving the Myths of the Realm quest series and relevant mentions of the Convocation of Fourteen. Following along with the Alliance Raid is easy enough by following Journal assignments, but you may need to search a little harder for refreshers on the Convocation. They were the governing body over the Ancients’ pre-sundered world, possessing immeasurable power.

The most straightforward mentions accessible in the MSQ are in ‘Etched in the Stars,’ a quest from the Shadowbringers ending, Patch 5.3. Then again in Endwalker upon reaching Elpis, you can speak to Emet-Selch during the quest ‘Their Greatest Contribution’ and ask to learn more about the Convocation.

As for how it all links up, I’ve got a few ideas of my own, but I’m keeping my expectations tame. I’ve been wrong more often than not on where Final Fantasy XIV would take us next, and I would have never guessed how the last expansion cleverly tied in some of its earliest reveals.