Before getting into any detailed criticism or analysis, I want to say this clearly:
This was probably the best FanFest keynote in terms of direction and potential since the massive transformation from FFXIV 1.0 to A Realm Reborn.
I was genuinely happy watching it. Not just because of the new expansion announcement, new content, or new systems, but because it finally felt like the team is seriously thinking about the next era of Final Fantasy XIV. It felt like they are not only adding more content, but also looking at the foundations of the game and asking:
How can FFXIV continue strongly for the next 10 years?
For that, I want to sincerely thank the FFXIV team, Yoshi-P, and especially the developer working on the Evolved Mode direction, which seems to be heavily influenced by the PvP side of the game.
I truly believe this team may be the hope for FFXIV’s long-term future. The overall direction is exciting, the care is clear, and the willingness to rethink old systems is something I deeply respect.
That being said, because these changes are so important, I also think some points need more clarification for players and for people who deeply care about the combat design, job identity, and the future of the game.
1. Reborn Mode and Evolved Mode
Regarding Evolved Mode, I think it is a very promising solution for one major problem: button bloat.
Having too many buttons has been one of FFXIV’s long-term issues, especially for newer players or players who want combat to feel cleaner and more modern. In that sense, Evolved Mode looks like a smart and necessary step.
However, I do not think Evolved Mode alone solves the bigger issue: job identity.
For example, from what we saw, Dragoon has directional attacks: one from the front, one from the rear, and one from the flank. That sounds good on paper, but then we have to ask:
What truly separates that from Monk, which also has rear and flank positionals?
Yes, Dragoon having one special attack that feels different is a good start, and I appreciate that. But I do not think it is enough by itself.
If the system only changes how actions are executed, without adding deeper RPG meaning behind the different attack types, then jobs may still feel too similar underneath.
What I believe FFXIV needs is a stronger RPG element that connects different types of attacks to each job’s identity.
Dragoon should not just be about front, rear, and flank. It should feel connected to jumping momentum, piercing pressure, aerial attacks, spear commitment, and impact.
Monk, on the other hand, should feel connected to martial flow, rhythm, body strikes, stance changes, and speed.
The difference should not only be animation or button layout. It should be in how the job thinks, how it builds pressure, and how its attacks interact with its fantasy.
Evolved Mode can reduce button bloat, but job identity will not be fixed unless each job’s attacks carry unique RPG meaning.
2. Gear Progression Changes
The gear progression changes might be one of the best things announced in the entire keynote.
FFXIV has always advertised itself as a game where one character can play every job, but the gearing system never fully supported that fantasy.
Yes, you could level every job, but if you wanted to seriously play Warrior, White Mage, and Samurai, you often had to deal with a long and repetitive gearing process for each role.
That kind of system made job freedom feel limited.
Instead of asking:
“What do I want to play today?”
Players often had to ask:
“What job have I already geared?”
If the new system truly allows players to move between jobs more freely, then this is a massive improvement.
A Warrior player should be able to try White Mage.
A healer should be able to move into Samurai.
A DPS player should be able to tank without feeling like they are months behind.
This is not about removing progression. It is about removing unnecessary barriers between the player and the jobs they want to enjoy.
FFXIV’s greatest strength is that one character can play every job. The gearing system should support that fantasy, not fight against it.
3. Changing Daily Grind into Weekly Progression
Changing the daily grind into a more weekly-focused system is honestly one of the best changes announced.
Finally, busy players can progress comfortably without feeling punished for not logging in every single day.
Many FFXIV players are adults with work, family, responsibilities, and limited free time. A daily system can easily become stressful, even when the content itself is good.
A weekly structure respects the player’s time much better.
It allows people to choose when they want to play. Instead of feeling forced to log in every day for roulettes or tomestones, players can plan their playtime around their real life.
This is a very healthy direction for the game.
It does not mean players will play less. In fact, it might make players enjoy the game more, because they are playing when they want to, not because they feel forced to keep up.
To me, this is one of the clearest examples of the team respecting the player’s time.
4. Character Customization and Glamour Freedom
Regarding character customization, I think this is another excellent improvement and one of the best quality-of-life additions announced.
This also connects perfectly with another great change: allowing all jobs to glamour any gear.
FFXIV has one of the strongest glamour cultures in any MMO. For many players, glamour is not just a side activity. It is one of the main ways they express their character’s identity.
When you combine better character customization with more freedom in glamour, the game becomes much stronger in terms of personal expression.
In an RPG, character identity is not only built through combat. It is also built through appearance, glamour, and the freedom to express your fantasy.
This kind of change may not affect rotations or raid balance directly, but it absolutely affects how players connect with their characters.
And in a game like FFXIV, that matters a lot.
5. Character Action Skins / Animation Customization
Regarding Character Action Skins or animation customization, I think this is a very exciting idea.
If handled correctly, this could become one of the most interesting systems added to FFXIV.
Being able to customize how certain actions look or feel can add a lot of personality to each player’s character, especially in a game where identity, glamour, and job fantasy matter so much.
However, my biggest concern is monetization.
I really hope this system does not become heavily tied to the Mog Station.
If most of the best action skins end up being paid cosmetics, then the game could start feeling more cash-aggressive, and that would be a very bad direction for FFXIV.
In my opinion, these animations should primarily be earned inside the game.
They could be rewards from difficult fights, raids, criterion content, achievements, relic-style progression, PvP, deep dungeons, or other meaningful content.
That would make them feel like real accomplishments instead of just store purchases.
Character Action Skins should be a reward system first, not a cash shop system.
6. Alliance Raid
Regarding the new Alliance Raid, I am extremely excited.
As someone who loves mecha themes, and as someone who really enjoyed the NieR Alliance Raid, this announcement immediately caught my attention.
I hope this raid goes even further than the NieR raid in terms of atmosphere, boss design, music, visual spectacle, and emotional impact.
A mecha-inspired Alliance Raid has massive potential in FFXIV, especially if the team fully commits to the scale and intensity that this kind of theme deserves.
I really hope it becomes one of the strongest Alliance Raid series the game has ever had.
7. New Dungeons, New Raids, and Battle Content
Regarding the new dungeons, new raids, trials, and other battle content, these are always the kinds of things we love to see in a new expansion.
Of course, new battle content is expected, but it is still important. Dungeons, raids, trials, and ultimate fights are a huge part of what keeps FFXIV alive.
However, what really stood out to me is the increased attention toward the open world.
8. Open World and Dynamic FATEs
The attention toward open-world content is one of the things I really appreciated.
The mention of more dynamic FATEs or FATE-like open-world systems is very important, because this is something many players, including us, have been asking for since around a year ago.
For that, I genuinely want to thank the FFXIV team for listening and paying attention to this point.
The open world in FFXIV has needed more life, more danger, and more meaningful reasons to exist beyond MSQ, gathering, hunts, or simply passing through.
The open world should not just be a beautiful background for the story. It should feel alive, active, and worth returning to.
If the team can make the open world feel more alive through dynamic events, better rewards, and content that encourages players to gather naturally, then this could be one of the best improvements to the overall FFXIV experience.
9. Free Trial Expanding to Shadowbringers
Regarding the Free Trial expanding to include Shadowbringers, I think this is a great decision.
Shadowbringers is one of the strongest parts of FFXIV, and allowing new players to experience it for free gives them a much better chance to understand why so many people love this game.
This is a very strong move for bringing in new players.
However, I also think the team needs to keep one important thing in mind:
Many new players may still get tired before reaching Shadowbringers, especially around the middle of A Realm Reborn.
I do not think ARR being long and story-heavy is necessarily a bad thing, because FFXIV is a story-driven MMORPG.
But for a completely new player, the amount of MSQ required before reaching the stronger expansions can feel overwhelming.
So while adding Shadowbringers to the Free Trial is excellent, the early-game pacing still matters a lot.
The Free Trial becomes more valuable when new players can actually stay engaged long enough to reach the parts that show FFXIV at its best.
10. Nintendo Switch 2 Version
Regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 version, I personally do not use the Switch, but I hope this release helps the game grow and reach more players.
More platforms means more players, and that is good for the health of the game.
My only concern is that the Switch 2 version should not become a limitation for FFXIV’s future development.
I hope the team does not reduce the quality, scale, graphics, encounter design, open-world ambition, or technical improvements of future content just to make everything fit around the Switch 2 version.
It is good for FFXIV to be available on more platforms, but platform expansion should not come at the cost of the game’s long-term evolution.
Expanding to more platforms is great, but FFXIV’s future should not be limited by the weakest supported hardware.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I left this keynote feeling genuinely excited.
Not because every detail was perfect, and not because I have no concerns, but because the direction finally feels ambitious again.
The team seems willing to rethink combat, progression, open-world content, customization, glamour, and player time investment.
That is exactly what FFXIV needs.
I appreciate the direction. I respect the effort. And I honestly believe this could be the start of a new major era for the game.
But because the direction is so important, I hope the team communicates these systems clearly and carefully.
Evolved Mode needs to explain how it will protect job identity.
Gear progression needs to preserve meaningful rewards while removing unnecessary friction.
Action skins need to be earned through gameplay, not pushed mainly through Mog Station.
Open-world content needs to become truly alive, not just another temporary system.
If these systems are handled correctly, then this keynote may be remembered as the moment FFXIV started preparing itself for the next 10 years.
And for the first time in a while, I feel very hopeful about that future.
and please,,, PTR before live at least 6 months before
Continue reading...
This was probably the best FanFest keynote in terms of direction and potential since the massive transformation from FFXIV 1.0 to A Realm Reborn.
I was genuinely happy watching it. Not just because of the new expansion announcement, new content, or new systems, but because it finally felt like the team is seriously thinking about the next era of Final Fantasy XIV. It felt like they are not only adding more content, but also looking at the foundations of the game and asking:
How can FFXIV continue strongly for the next 10 years?
For that, I want to sincerely thank the FFXIV team, Yoshi-P, and especially the developer working on the Evolved Mode direction, which seems to be heavily influenced by the PvP side of the game.
I truly believe this team may be the hope for FFXIV’s long-term future. The overall direction is exciting, the care is clear, and the willingness to rethink old systems is something I deeply respect.
That being said, because these changes are so important, I also think some points need more clarification for players and for people who deeply care about the combat design, job identity, and the future of the game.
1. Reborn Mode and Evolved Mode
Regarding Evolved Mode, I think it is a very promising solution for one major problem: button bloat.
Having too many buttons has been one of FFXIV’s long-term issues, especially for newer players or players who want combat to feel cleaner and more modern. In that sense, Evolved Mode looks like a smart and necessary step.
However, I do not think Evolved Mode alone solves the bigger issue: job identity.
For example, from what we saw, Dragoon has directional attacks: one from the front, one from the rear, and one from the flank. That sounds good on paper, but then we have to ask:
What truly separates that from Monk, which also has rear and flank positionals?
Yes, Dragoon having one special attack that feels different is a good start, and I appreciate that. But I do not think it is enough by itself.
If the system only changes how actions are executed, without adding deeper RPG meaning behind the different attack types, then jobs may still feel too similar underneath.
What I believe FFXIV needs is a stronger RPG element that connects different types of attacks to each job’s identity.
Dragoon should not just be about front, rear, and flank. It should feel connected to jumping momentum, piercing pressure, aerial attacks, spear commitment, and impact.
Monk, on the other hand, should feel connected to martial flow, rhythm, body strikes, stance changes, and speed.
The difference should not only be animation or button layout. It should be in how the job thinks, how it builds pressure, and how its attacks interact with its fantasy.
Evolved Mode can reduce button bloat, but job identity will not be fixed unless each job’s attacks carry unique RPG meaning.
2. Gear Progression Changes
The gear progression changes might be one of the best things announced in the entire keynote.
FFXIV has always advertised itself as a game where one character can play every job, but the gearing system never fully supported that fantasy.
Yes, you could level every job, but if you wanted to seriously play Warrior, White Mage, and Samurai, you often had to deal with a long and repetitive gearing process for each role.
That kind of system made job freedom feel limited.
Instead of asking:
“What do I want to play today?”
Players often had to ask:
“What job have I already geared?”
If the new system truly allows players to move between jobs more freely, then this is a massive improvement.
A Warrior player should be able to try White Mage.
A healer should be able to move into Samurai.
A DPS player should be able to tank without feeling like they are months behind.
This is not about removing progression. It is about removing unnecessary barriers between the player and the jobs they want to enjoy.
FFXIV’s greatest strength is that one character can play every job. The gearing system should support that fantasy, not fight against it.
3. Changing Daily Grind into Weekly Progression
Changing the daily grind into a more weekly-focused system is honestly one of the best changes announced.
Finally, busy players can progress comfortably without feeling punished for not logging in every single day.
Many FFXIV players are adults with work, family, responsibilities, and limited free time. A daily system can easily become stressful, even when the content itself is good.
A weekly structure respects the player’s time much better.
It allows people to choose when they want to play. Instead of feeling forced to log in every day for roulettes or tomestones, players can plan their playtime around their real life.
This is a very healthy direction for the game.
It does not mean players will play less. In fact, it might make players enjoy the game more, because they are playing when they want to, not because they feel forced to keep up.
To me, this is one of the clearest examples of the team respecting the player’s time.
4. Character Customization and Glamour Freedom
Regarding character customization, I think this is another excellent improvement and one of the best quality-of-life additions announced.
This also connects perfectly with another great change: allowing all jobs to glamour any gear.
FFXIV has one of the strongest glamour cultures in any MMO. For many players, glamour is not just a side activity. It is one of the main ways they express their character’s identity.
When you combine better character customization with more freedom in glamour, the game becomes much stronger in terms of personal expression.
In an RPG, character identity is not only built through combat. It is also built through appearance, glamour, and the freedom to express your fantasy.
This kind of change may not affect rotations or raid balance directly, but it absolutely affects how players connect with their characters.
And in a game like FFXIV, that matters a lot.
5. Character Action Skins / Animation Customization
Regarding Character Action Skins or animation customization, I think this is a very exciting idea.
If handled correctly, this could become one of the most interesting systems added to FFXIV.
Being able to customize how certain actions look or feel can add a lot of personality to each player’s character, especially in a game where identity, glamour, and job fantasy matter so much.
However, my biggest concern is monetization.
I really hope this system does not become heavily tied to the Mog Station.
If most of the best action skins end up being paid cosmetics, then the game could start feeling more cash-aggressive, and that would be a very bad direction for FFXIV.
In my opinion, these animations should primarily be earned inside the game.
They could be rewards from difficult fights, raids, criterion content, achievements, relic-style progression, PvP, deep dungeons, or other meaningful content.
That would make them feel like real accomplishments instead of just store purchases.
Character Action Skins should be a reward system first, not a cash shop system.
6. Alliance Raid
Regarding the new Alliance Raid, I am extremely excited.
As someone who loves mecha themes, and as someone who really enjoyed the NieR Alliance Raid, this announcement immediately caught my attention.
I hope this raid goes even further than the NieR raid in terms of atmosphere, boss design, music, visual spectacle, and emotional impact.
A mecha-inspired Alliance Raid has massive potential in FFXIV, especially if the team fully commits to the scale and intensity that this kind of theme deserves.
I really hope it becomes one of the strongest Alliance Raid series the game has ever had.
7. New Dungeons, New Raids, and Battle Content
Regarding the new dungeons, new raids, trials, and other battle content, these are always the kinds of things we love to see in a new expansion.
Of course, new battle content is expected, but it is still important. Dungeons, raids, trials, and ultimate fights are a huge part of what keeps FFXIV alive.
However, what really stood out to me is the increased attention toward the open world.
8. Open World and Dynamic FATEs
The attention toward open-world content is one of the things I really appreciated.
The mention of more dynamic FATEs or FATE-like open-world systems is very important, because this is something many players, including us, have been asking for since around a year ago.
For that, I genuinely want to thank the FFXIV team for listening and paying attention to this point.
The open world in FFXIV has needed more life, more danger, and more meaningful reasons to exist beyond MSQ, gathering, hunts, or simply passing through.
The open world should not just be a beautiful background for the story. It should feel alive, active, and worth returning to.
If the team can make the open world feel more alive through dynamic events, better rewards, and content that encourages players to gather naturally, then this could be one of the best improvements to the overall FFXIV experience.
9. Free Trial Expanding to Shadowbringers
Regarding the Free Trial expanding to include Shadowbringers, I think this is a great decision.
Shadowbringers is one of the strongest parts of FFXIV, and allowing new players to experience it for free gives them a much better chance to understand why so many people love this game.
This is a very strong move for bringing in new players.
However, I also think the team needs to keep one important thing in mind:
Many new players may still get tired before reaching Shadowbringers, especially around the middle of A Realm Reborn.
I do not think ARR being long and story-heavy is necessarily a bad thing, because FFXIV is a story-driven MMORPG.
But for a completely new player, the amount of MSQ required before reaching the stronger expansions can feel overwhelming.
So while adding Shadowbringers to the Free Trial is excellent, the early-game pacing still matters a lot.
The Free Trial becomes more valuable when new players can actually stay engaged long enough to reach the parts that show FFXIV at its best.
10. Nintendo Switch 2 Version
Regarding the Nintendo Switch 2 version, I personally do not use the Switch, but I hope this release helps the game grow and reach more players.
More platforms means more players, and that is good for the health of the game.
My only concern is that the Switch 2 version should not become a limitation for FFXIV’s future development.
I hope the team does not reduce the quality, scale, graphics, encounter design, open-world ambition, or technical improvements of future content just to make everything fit around the Switch 2 version.
It is good for FFXIV to be available on more platforms, but platform expansion should not come at the cost of the game’s long-term evolution.
Expanding to more platforms is great, but FFXIV’s future should not be limited by the weakest supported hardware.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I left this keynote feeling genuinely excited.
Not because every detail was perfect, and not because I have no concerns, but because the direction finally feels ambitious again.
The team seems willing to rethink combat, progression, open-world content, customization, glamour, and player time investment.
That is exactly what FFXIV needs.
I appreciate the direction. I respect the effort. And I honestly believe this could be the start of a new major era for the game.
But because the direction is so important, I hope the team communicates these systems clearly and carefully.
Evolved Mode needs to explain how it will protect job identity.
Gear progression needs to preserve meaningful rewards while removing unnecessary friction.
Action skins need to be earned through gameplay, not pushed mainly through Mog Station.
Open-world content needs to become truly alive, not just another temporary system.
If these systems are handled correctly, then this keynote may be remembered as the moment FFXIV started preparing itself for the next 10 years.
And for the first time in a while, I feel very hopeful about that future.
and please,,, PTR before live at least 6 months before
Continue reading...