FFXIV: All new content in Patch 6.5

FFXIV continues to evolve with every patch, and the upcoming Patch 6.5 is a substantial one. Find out every new change coming when Growing Light goes live starting October 2023. Get ready for new missions, items, quests, and more!

FFXIV Patch 6.5: Growing Light

FFXIV beyond light patch 6.5 warrior of light — Image via Square Enix

FFXIV Patch 6.5: Growing Light is the fifth and final major content update following Endwalker. This sizable update will release in two parts, each with a different release date. Part 1 launches October 3, 2023, while Part 2 debuts in Mid-January 2024. All changes listed come directly from the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXVIII and Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXIX.

New Main Scenario Quests
- Growing Light, Part 1 (Patch 6.5)
- Growing Light, Part 2 (Patch 6.55)
New Dungeon
- The Lunar Subterrane
New Trials
- The Abyssal Fracture
- The Abyssal Fracture (Extreme)
New Unreal Trial
- The Singularity Reactor (Unreal)
New Alliance Raid
- Myths of the Realm Part 3
  - Thaleia
Duty Support for Stormblood
- Duty Support added for:
  - The Drowned City of Skalla
  - The Burn
  - The Ghimlyt Dark
- Duty support added for all main scenario dungeons from A Realm Reborn through Endwalker.
Job Adjustments (PvE / PvP)
- Adjustments made in 6.5 to balance damage output between jobs within each role.
- Increases to potency of certain job actions.
PvP Updates
- PvP Series Five begins
  - No changes in Patch 6.5.
  - Season Eight runs from Patch 6.48 until Patch 6.51
- Crystalline Conflict Update
  - Minimap and UI adjustments
    - New settings to permanently display affiliated team to the left of the minimap and/or HUD.
    - A new line on the field indicates the “Comeback Point”—how far the losing team must progress to turn the tide.
    - New setting to display a countdown timer ten seconds prior to overtime
    - Enhanced Progress Gauge
    - Effects for certain actions, pets, etc. adjusted to indicate ally vs. enemy (Patch 6.51)
  - New arena
    - The Red Sands (Patch 6.51)
Island Sanctuary Updates
- New sanctuary ranks and visions
- New gathering area in the wilds
- Additional materials, craftable items, crops, animals, isleworks handicrafts, and structures.
- Felicitous Favors
  - Unlocked with the completion of Patch 6.5 sanctuary progression
  - The felicitous furball will issue individualized requests for handicrafts production
  - Shipping these handicrafts yields special tokens tradeable for exclusive rewards.
Fall Guys Collaboration (Patch 6.5x)
- A Fall Guys Collaboration coming to the Gold Saucer!
Miscellaneous Updates
- New Custom Deliveries: Margrat
- New consecutive aetherial reduction function for collectibles
- Greed dot indicators on newly logged fish in the Fish Guide
- Ability to store optional items in the armoire
- Item Level restrictions for Duty Roulette: Alliance Raid based on level.
- Option to sort teleport destination by expansion (can be enabled from the teleport settings menu)
- New reward for obtaining all trial mounts in the 6.x patch series
- EXP and Allagan tomestone rewards for each alliance raid adjusted according to difficulty and time required for completion.
Free Trial Expanded to include Stormblood
- Coming with the release of Patch 6.5
Planned Improvements to Server Infrastructure
- The use of cloud data centers is under consideration at Creative Business Unit III
- A North American cloud data center will be temporarily implemented for a public stress test during the 6.5x Patch series.
- More info to come on the Lodestone at a later date.

Beyond Patch 6.5

While many of Patch 6.5’s changes drop in October, many changes won’t roll out until the second segment of the update in 2024. You can expect the following features to come in Patch 6.55 and beyond.

Splendorous Tools (Patch 6.51)
Variant & Criterion Dungeon #3 (Patch 6.51)
- Aloalo Island
  - Three levels of difficulty
    - Normal
    - Criterion
    - Criterion (Savage)
Endwalker Tribal Alliance Quests (Patch 6.55)
- Requires completion of the following Arkasodara, Omicron, and Loporrit Tribal quests:
  - The Hippo Riders
  - Life, the Universe
  - Coffee Beans
  - Dreams Come True
- Tataru’s Grand Endeavor Continues (Patch 6.55)
- Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures (Patch 6.55)
- Further Manderville Weapons (Patch 6.55)
KFC x FFXIV Collab Event
- Begins October 4, 2023.
- Purchase combo meals in Japan to receive sticks and the Eat Chicken in-game emote.
Final Fantasy XIV TTRPG
- The starter set is scheduled for a May 2024 release.