Square Enix shares massive prelim patch notes ahead of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers launch

Dig in

For Final Fantasy XIV players, preliminary patch notes are like mini holidays.

We get to see how a major expansion or update is going to shake up before getting granular specifics, which lets us plan our approach before its arrival (in terms of where quests are going to appear, or what quests are even available). It’s a big deal, and patch 5.0 heralds in Shadowbringers, one of the most ambitious updates in the history of the game that will supposedly bring story beats so huge, they “feel like the story could end.”

In this massive tome of notes we get a quick look at the two major cites (Crystarium and Eulmore), as well as the new zones, aesthetic changes (the updated aetheryte– teleport — crystals are ace), job quest teases, reworks for gatherers and crafters (Disciples of the Land/Hand), FATE (random world encounters) minibosses, player housing additions, short job previews (Gunbreaker and Dancer are new to Shadowbringers), and a whole lot more, like these big quality of life changes.

Even if you don’t play the game, just click on the notes and skim through to witness how massive Final Fantasy XIV updates are. If you do play, you’re probably bookmarking them now for a nighttime read. Shadowbringers will arrive on Friday for early access players and for everyone else on July 2.

Look at the new Final Fantasy 1 Imp model in the comparison image I whipped up below! This game truly is a celebration of the entire series, and now NieR is invited to the party.

Patch 5.0 Notes (Preliminary) [Final Fantasy XIV]