Final Fantasy XIV is receiving a major graphics makeover in an update for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion.
At Final Fantasy Fest 2023, producer Naoki Yoshida said in the Final Fantasy XIV keynote that the graphics update will improve the screen-wide aesthetic appeal and higher-resolution textures and shadows. The quality of the improved material in the game preserves the overall look you know and love, specifically the look and feel of existing characters.
"We're really taking care that you'll look at your updated character and won't say, 'Oh that's really not what I expected at all,'" Yoshida said, pointing out that all the characters, including NPCs, will have improved hair texture, improved eyes, and beautiful skin.
The update will buff up the metal on armor and other objects to make them shinier than they were in the game's previous updates. Even more so now that the lighting will be enhanced.
"You'll notice that the 7.0 areas are kind of prettier than the previous areas," Yoshida said. "But in the old areas things like the shadow improvements and the lighting will be automatically applied. It will take some time to add those extra objects I mentioned, but in terms of visuals it will look better."
The game's vegetation will also be given a brighter pop of color. Enhanced lighting will be automatically applied in the update, but the poly count won't increase as much.
"[Plants and grass] will automatically be applied to the system. We can't automatically increase the poly account available in the game... Grapes, grapes, we must mention the grapes. I just need you to know that we cannot give any more polygons to the grapes," Yoshida said. "With these graphic updates, it's not just that things are getting prettier. There are some system updates that are happening too."
The dye system will be updated to allow players to dye more parts of their gear. However, they will only apply two dyes per gear piece, and the dye system update won't apply to certain housing items.
Players will also get to equip eyeglasses alongside their headgear, making the game more inclusive for those who wear eyeglasses in the real world. Object and furnishing limits will also increase.
While the graphics update will introduce a number of immediate improvements, Yoshida said they won't come to the game all at once. Square Enix will add them as the 7.0 update progresses, starting with Dawntrail and the earliest version of the game and continuing on to the middle expansions. Square Enix plans to eventually bring the updates to all of the gear and the areas in the game.
The Dawntrail expansion has brought changes to system updates for those playing the PC version of Final Fantasy XIV, but Square Enix says it plans to continue supporting the PS4 version. Here's are the new system requirements.
Dawntrail is the fifth expansion in Final Fantasy XIV after Endwalker, Shadowbringers, Stormblood, and Heavensward. The expansion will be out in Summer 2024, and is also set to come out on Xbox for the first time next year.
Cristina Alexander is a freelance writer for IGN. To paraphrase Calvin Harris, she wears her love for Sonic the Hedgehog on her sleeve like a big deal. Follow her on Twitter @SonicPrincess15.
