Perhaps some of the most fun and demanding content for casual players in Final Fantasy XIV is the trials and their extreme equivalents. These trials set eight players against one enemy, with difficulties varying depending on the level and how high-level the trial is. 

There are a lot of trials in FFXIV, with the majority coming from MSQ progression. Hard or Extreme versions are usually unlocked via completing side quests, and Extreme trials are worth aiming towards. 

Extreme trials usually drop sought-after materials, and all of them drop their own mounts. Completing all of the Extreme trials in an expansion and earning their mounts will then unlock a further mount that can’t be earned any other way.

Here’s every trial in FFXIV, and what quest you’ll need to complete to unlock it. 

A Realm Reborn trials

MSQ trials

These trials are unlocked simply by playing through the MSQ of A Realm Reborn:

Side quest trials

While these aren’t strictly necessary for the story of FFXIV, they do add additional lore and side stories that are fun to dive into, nonetheless. You also have to complete Hard trials in order to unlock their Extreme versions, and these are all level 50 trials:

High-end trials

High-end trials are the extreme versions of trials that already exist, with the difficulty taken up a notch (or a few). Extreme trials will always be the maximum level for the expansion in which they were released, so all A Realm Reborn trials are level 50.

Heavensward trials

MSQ trials

The following four trials are unlocked as part of the MSQ during Heavensward:

Side quest trials

The following trials are unlocked through side quests in Azys Lla, and all are level 60:

High-end trials

If you want an extra challenge, then you can unlock and complete the Heavensward Extreme trials to take on previously challenged enemies at a higher scale of difficulty and get those precious drops. These are all level 60 trials:

Stormblood trials

MSQ trials

Stormblood added another four new trials as part of the MSQ, and they’ll unlock at the following stages:

Side quest trials

The following trials are unlocked by completing side quests in Stormblood, including the Four Auspices line of quests:

High-end trials

Many of the Stormblood trials, except Kugane Ohashi from the Hildibrand quest line, have Extreme versions to unlock and fight through. Luckily, most of them are unlocked by completing a single side quest:

Shadowbringers trials

MSQ trials

As was something of a pattern by this point, Shadowbringers added four new MSQ trials:

Side quest trials

As part of the Shadow of Werlyt quest line, the following three level 80 trials can also be unlocked in Shadowbringers:

High-end trials

Unlike other expansions, Shadowbringers added an Extreme trial (Memoria Misera) that does not have a normal difficulty counterpart. This is unlocked by completing quests in the Bozjan Southern Front. Completing this Extreme trial unlocks the ability to dye level 80 Artifact Armor.

Here's how to unlock this trial, along with the rest of the level 80 Extreme trials:

Endwalker trials

MSQ trials

Endwalker really upped the number of trials added as part of the MSQ, going against the established pattern and adding a total of 7 trials to unlock as you progress through the main story:

Side quest trials

Only one level 90 trial is unlocked through completing a side quest during Endwalker, and it comes as part of the Somehow Further Hildibrand Adventures. To unlock the Gilded Araya, you’ll need to play through all of Hildibrand’s Endwalker quests until you complete “Gentleman at Heart.” 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ trials in Endwalker has an Extreme equivalent, and this can be unlocked by completing the level 90 side quest “I Wandered Sharlayan as a Minstrel.” 

Dawntrail trials

MSQ trials

So far, three trials have been added to Dawntrail as part of the MSQ:

Side quest trials

As of yet, there are no further trials that can be unlocked via side quests in Dawntrail. This may change with future patches, so this section will be updated accordingly. 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ quests in Dawntail has an Extreme version that can be unlocked by completing the level 100 side quest “How the West Was Sung.”

The post All trials in Final Fantasy XIV and how to unlock them appeared first on Destructoid.

Final Fantasy XIV is known for its raiding community, who take part in Normal, Savage and Ultimate raids for intense challenges and endgame rewards. However, there is another type of Raid, more suited to players who prefer a lower-pressure environment but with all of the flashy fights — Alliance Raids.

Alliance Raids are heavily story-based duties designed for 24 players in three, full parties of eight. Not only do Alliance Raids often have sought-after rewards, like gear perfect for late-game or glamour, but they have arguably the most epic narrative outside of the MSQ in any expansion. 

With that in mind, it makes sense that you’d want access to all of them, so let’s review how to unlock every FFXIV Alliance Raid series.

A Realm Reborn - The Crystal Tower quests

This storyline is our first introduction to the Crystal Tower which plays a pivotal role later on in Shadowbringers, as well as fan favorite Miqote, G’raha Tia. This is the only Alliance Raid series which is a requirement for progressing the MSQ. 

In order to complete the Crystal Tower story arc, unlock all three Alliance Raids, and progress with the MSQ, you’ll need to complete the following level 50 quests:

Heavensward - The Shadow of Mhach quests

During the Shadow of Mhach storyline, you’ll work alongside the Sky Pirates and Cait Sith to save an ancient civilization from a pact they made with a mysterious evil power. These raids are particularly daunting, even today, but also really satisfying to complete.

In order to complete the Shadow of Mhach story and unlock all of the associated Alliance Raids, you’ll need to complete the following level 60 quests:

Stormblood - Return to Ivalice quests

The Return to Ivalice storyline takes its name from the Ivalice in Final Fantasy VII, though the themes and characters are unrelated. This story does, however, see the return of something iconic from Final Fantasy IX — The Prima Vista airship.

Shadowbringers - YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse quests

The YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse series of Alliance Raids not only carries a distinctly NieR aesthetic, but it was also designed by the creators of NieR: Automata themselves, Yoko Taro and Yosuke Saito. Despite this, there’s a distinctly FFXIV feel to the Raids, and they’re incredibly fun to take part in while still being challenging. 

This is the longest questline of all the Alliance Raids, so buckle in. To complete the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse storyline and unlock all of the Alliance Raids, you’ll need to complete the following level 80 quests:

Endwalker - Myths of the Realm quests

Myths of the Realm sees you fighting The Twelve, a collection of Eorzean Gods, who have been referenced since even before A Realm Reborn. Now, finally, we get to see them in their full glory and battle them, alongside Deryk and his Opo-opo buddy. 

Here are all of the level 90 quests you’ll need to complete to finish this storyline and unlock all of the Myths of the Realm Alliance Raids:

Dawntrail - Echoes of Vana'diel

Dawntrail added the latest of the Alliance Raid series, with raids heavily inspired by the lore and enemies of FFXIV's MMO predecessor Final Fantasy XI.

Here's all of the level 100 quests you'll need to complete in order to unlock the Echoes of Vana'diel raids, and this will of course be updated on an ongoing basis as more duties are added:

How to unlock Dawntrail's Chaotic Alliance Raids

Dawntrail added a new type of Alliance Raid, essentially taking the Alliance Raid format of 24 players and turning it into Savage level content. The first of these is The Cloud of Darkness: Chaotic, which will automatically unlock after completing the level 100 MSQ quest "Dawntrail".

The post How to unlock every Alliance Raid in Final Fantasy XIV appeared first on Destructoid.

With each expansion of Final Fantasy XIV, a new raid tier arrives to test your mettle against high-level foes. There are a lot of different raids to complete within each expansion, with Normal and Savage raids proving the most popular and often giving some of the best rewards.

There are, in fact, four different types of Raid within Final Fantasy XIV: Alliance, Normal, Savage, and Ultimate. However, this guide is going to focus solely on how to unlock the Normal Raids, their Savage counterparts, and Ultimate raids where applicable. 

Before you can unlock any Savage Raid in FFXIV, you’ll need to complete the level 50 side quest “The Ultimate Ballad”. To pick this up, head to Mor Dhona and talk to Alys (X:21.7, Y:8.6).

A Realm Reborn - Binding Coil, Second Coil, and Final Coil quests

Before you can start the Binding Coils of Bahamut raids, you'll need to complete a few other duties:

• The Bowl of Embers (Hard)
• The Howling Eye (Hard)
• The Navel (Hard)

To unlock all of the Bahamut raids, you’ll need to complete the following level 50 quests:

How to unlock The Second Coil of Bahamut, Savage

To unlock the Bahamut Savage raids, go to Mor Dhona and speak to Alys again, who will send you to the Wandering Minstrel Mor Dhona Mor Dhona (X:21.0, Y:8.0). Note, only the Second Coil raids have Savage counterparts.

Heavensward - Alexander Gordias, Midas, and Creator quests

To unlock all of the Normal Alexander Raids, you’ll need to complete the following level 60 quests after completing the level 60 MSQ quest "Heavensward":

How to unlock Alexander Savage in FFXIV

To unlock Alexander Savage, return to the Wandering Minstrel in Mor Dhona (X:21.0, Y:8.0) and pick up the following level 60 quests:

Stormblood - Omega Deltascape, Sigmascape, Alphascape quests

To unlock all of the Normal Raids in Stormblood and complete the Omega storyline, you’ll need to complete the following level 70 quests after completing the level 70 MSQ quest "Stormblood":

How to unlock Omega Savage in FFXIV

To unlock the Omega Savage raid series in FFXIV, head to Rhalgr’s Reach and interact with the Magitek Terminal (X:13.5, Y:12.4) after completing the following quests from the questline:

How to unlock Stormblood Ultimate raids in FFXIV

The first-ever Ultimate Raids were added during Stormblood, as well. These can be unlocked by talking to the Wandering Minstrel in Kugane (X:11.6, Y:12.6), after meeting certain Savage requirements:

• The Unending Coil of Bahamut (Ultimate)

  • Must have completed Deltascape V4.0 (Savage)

• The Weapon’s Refrain (Ultimate)

  • Must have completed Sigmascape V4.0 (Savage)

Shadowbringers - Eden's Gate, Verse, and Promise unlock quests

To unlock all FFXIV Eden raids, you’ll need to complete the following level 80 quests after completing the level 80 MSQ quest "Shadowbringers":

How to unlock Eden Savage

To unlock Eden Savage raids in FFXIV, head to Amh Araeng and talk to Lewrey (X:26.8, Y:16.4) after completing the following quests from the questline:

How to unlock Shadowbringers Ultimates

A single Ultimate Raid was added during Shadowbringers, too. Unlock The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) by talking to the Wandering Minstrel in Kugane (X:11.6, Y:12.6) after completing Eden’s Gate: Sepulture (Savage).

Endwalker - Pandæmonium Asphodelos, Abyssos, and Anabaseios

To unlock all of the Pandæmonium Normal Raids , you’ll need to complete the following level 90 quests after completing the level 90 MSQ quest "Endwalker":

How to unlock Pandaemonium Savage in FFXIV

To unlock Pandæmonium Savage in FFXIV, head to Labyrinthos and speak to Nemijiji (X:8.4, Y:27.4) after completing the following quests:

How to unlock Endwalker Ultimate raids in FFXIV

Endwalker also brought two new Ultimate Raids. To unlock both, talk to the Wandering Minstrel in Old Sharlayan (X:12.7, Y:14.2) after meeting the following requirements:

• Dragonsong’s Reprise (Ultimate)

  • Must have completed Asphodelos: The Fourth Circle (Savage)

•  The Omega Protocol (Ultimate)

  • Must have completed Abyssos: The Eighth Circle (Savage)

Dawntrail - Arcadion AAC Light-heavyweight

To unlock all of the currently available Arcadion raids in Dawntrail, you'll need to complete all of the following level 100 quests after completing the level 100 MSQ quest "Dawntrail":

How to unlock Arcadion Savage in FFXIV

To unlock the Arcadion Savage raids in Dawntrail, talk to Gabbro in Solution Nine (X:22.4, Y:17.1) after completing the following Arcadion quests:

How to unlock Dawntrail Ultimate raids in FFXIV

Dawntrail comes with its own Ultimate Raids that can be unlocked by talking to the Wandering Minstrel in Tuliyollal (X:11.1, Y:14.6) after meeting the following requirements:

• Futures Rewritten (Ultimate)

  • Must have completed AAC Light-heavyweight M4 (Savage)

The post Every FFXIV 8-man raid unlock guide: Coil, Alexander, Omega, Eden, Pandæmonium, and Arcadion appeared first on Destructoid.

If you’ve played through the main story of Final Fantasy XIV and want to relive those memories, but you don’t want to go through the hassle of having to go through the grind again on another character, there’s good news — New Game Plus allows you to do just that. 

New Game Plus was introduced to FFXIV back in patch 5.1, so it has been around for a while, but the concept of it can be a little daunting to those unfamiliar with it. Once you’re past the hump of getting to grips with the interface, though, you can relive your favorite parts with little to no stress involved.

How to unlock New Game Plus in FFXIV

Before you can unlock the New Game Plus feature in FFXIV, you’ll need to play (or have completed) the MSQ up until “The Ultimate Weapon”, which is the last MSQ quest before Post-ARR quests were added in patches 2.1 to 2.56. 

Once you’ve reached that point, or if you haven’t done so already, head to Western Thanalan and talk to Wistful Whitebeard in Horizon, Western Thanalan (X:12.0, Y:14.0) to unlock New Game Plus. 

After this, new chapters will be added as you progress through the story. It’s not just MSQ that can be replayed through New Game Plus, but also side content such as raid series’, the Hildibrand story line, and Job, Class or Role Quests. 

How to access New Game Plus in FFXIV

Once it’s unlocked, you can find New Game Plus under the main menu by selecting “Duty”, then “New Game+”. This will open up a window displaying all of the possible chapters of New Game Plus that you currently have unlocked. Each section of the MSQ will unlock after completing a certain quest along the way, but more on that in just a little bit. 

Each expansion is broken down into multiple different chapters, with Post-MSQ content making up its own chapters, and you’ll need to select the chapter you want to replay before selecting “Commence”. If you’ve started a chapter in New Game Plus previously, you’ll also be able to continue from where you left off by selecting the left-most tab on the top row.

You can only begin a chapter of New Game Plus if you are physically in a location that was already in the game at that point. For instance, you cannot start any chapters from Shadowbringers if you’re in an area added in either Endwalker or Dawntrail, so you’ll need to teleport to somewhere that actually existed when the expansion was released. You can, however, go back and play through the story right from the beginning on a Job that was added much later, such as completing A Realm Reborn as a Reaper or Pictomancer, which is always interesting.

While you will gain EXP from completing dungeons or duties as part of a New Game Plus playthrough, you won’t get any EXP or rewards from quests that you’re completing again. You also cannot register for any duties that you haven’t yet completed or interact with the Marketboard or Retainers. On the plus side, any solo quest battles will automatically have the “Easy” and “Very Easy” options available, making the whole process otherwise pretty stress-free. 

How to suspend New Game Plus in FFXIV

You suspend New Game Plus in much the same way as you enable it, by opening up the New Game+ window and pressing suspend. If you register for any duty that you haven’t previously run, this will also automatically suspend the New Game Plus that you were playing. 

All New Game Plus chapters and how to unlock them in FFXIV

With each chapter of New Game Plus featuring different sections of the story, it can be hard to figure out which chapter you should play for a certain quest or recap. Here’s everything included in New Game Plus, what each chapter covers, and which quest you’ll need to complete to unlock the chapter:

Main Scenario

As a general rule, with the exception of A Realm Reborn, there are two New Game Plus chapters for each expansion that include the main story as it was released, and then two further chapters that encompass all quests added in later patches during that cycle. 

A Realm Reborn

It’s worth noting that when it comes to A Realm Reborn, you’ll only be able to access one of the versions of Part 1 as each starting city-state has its own individual quest line up to level 15. You’ll only be able to replay your own specific quests for this portion, just as you did the first time around. 

Heavensward

Stormblood

Shadowbringers

Endwalker

Dawntrail

Chronicles of a New Era

Raids

Any eight-player raid content is included in the subcategory of Chronicles of a New Era. These are unlocked in New Game Plus as soon as you finish the final quest of the storyline. 

Alliance Raids

You can also replay the story of all previous Alliance Raids through New Game Plus, allowing you to complete them all over again from start to finish. 

Trials

Three trial storylines are available to replay through the New Game Plus feature.

Side Story content

There is a lot of other side content that can be completed through New Game Plus, including everything from Hildibrand to Variant Dungeons. As with Chronicles of a New Era content, these unlock as soon as you complete the final quest in the storyline.

Hildibrand, Agent of Inquiry

Chronicles of Light

Variant Dungeons

Miscellaneous content

Job, Class, and Role Quests

There’s a list as long as my arm of Job, Class, and Role quests that can be completed through New Game Plus. Each individual chapter provides the opportunity to replay different quests from certain levels, with higher levels being accessed through later chapters. 

These can be found in the last five tabs of the New Game Plus interface and include Class Quests for all crafting and gathering classes as well.

The post How does New Game Plus work in Final Fantasy XIV? appeared first on Destructoid.

Final Fantasy XIV is a truly expansive MMO. There are hundreds of hours of Main Scenario Quest (MSQ) content, and that’s without counting side quests, content not related to the story, or duties outside of it. There’s a whole world to get lost in, and it can seem a bit daunting, but it's not so bad if you break it down into manageable chunks.

A Realm Reborn

Between level 1 and 15, you’ll have different quests depending on where you start your journey. You’ll need to complete 160 - 160 MSQ quests (Ul’dah gets one extra, for some reason) to get through the bulk of ARR. 

Levels 15 - 20

After this point, everyone will complete the same MSQ quests regardless of their starting city state or class. From this point, I’ve noted any duties that are unlocked through the MSQ.

When it comes to “The Company You Keep”, you’ll only complete one of the quests listed below and then a specific follow-up quest, depending on which Grand Company you choose to join. 

Levels 21 - 30

Levels 31 - 40

Levels 41 - 50

Post-ARR MSQ quests

The following quests were added in patches following the initial release of A Realm Reborn and set up the story arc for Heavensward. They are all level 50 quests.

Patch 2.1 - A Realm Awoken

Patch 2.2 - Through the Maelstrom

Patch 2.3 - Defenders of Eorzea

Patch 2.4 - Dreams of Ice

Patch 2.5 - Before the Fall (Part 1)

Patch 2.55 - Before the Fall (Part 2)

Heavensward

Once you’ve made it to Heavensward, you likely have a good handle on how to find your next quest, so from here on out I’m going to drop the locations and just state the NPC who starts the quest. I’m also going to break down the quests into their individual levels to help you keep track. 

There are a total of 94 Heavensward MSQ quests to get through, not including Post-Heavensward story arcs. 

Level 50

Level 51

Level 52

Level 53

Level 54

Level 55

Level 56

Level 57

Level 58

Level 59

Level 60

Dragonsong War

All quests introduced from patch 3.1 to 3.3 are officially known as the Dragonsong War MSQ quests. As with ARR Post-MSQ quests, these are all level 60. 

3.1 - As Light Goes, So Goes Darkness

3.2 - The Gears of Change

3.3 - Revenge of the Horde

Post-Dragonsong War

The following quests are all level 60, and set up the story arc that continues into Stormblood.

3.4 - Soul Surrender

3.5 - The Far Edge of Fate (Part 1)

3.56 - The Far Edge of Fate (Part 2)

Stormblood

There are a total of 122 quests to do in order to complete the Stormblood MSQ, not including those added in Post-Stormblood patches. Like before, let’s break these down to individual levels.

Level 60

Level 61

Level 62

Level 63

Level 64

Level 65

Level 66

Level 67

Level 68

Level 69

Level 70

Post-Stormblood

The following quests were added between patches 4.1 and 4.56. There are 40 in total, each of which is level 70, and they set up the story arc for Shadowbringers. 

4.1 - The Legend Returns

4.2 - Rise of a New Sun

4.3 - Under the Moonlight

4.4 - Prelude in Violet

4.5 - A Requiem for Heroes (Part 1)

4.56 - A Requiem for Heroes (Part 2)

Shadowbringers

There are 106 quests in the Shadowbringers MSQ, continuing the story set up in the Post-Stormblood questline. 

Level 70

Level 71

Level 72

Level 73

Level 74

Level 75

Level 76

Level 77

Level 78

Level 79

Level 80

Post-Shadowbringers

Post-Shadowbringers MSQ quests are broken into two categories, with the first wrapping up the Shadowbringers story between patches 5.1 and 5.3, and the second setting up the story of Endwalker between patches 5.3 and 5.55. All of these quests are level 80.

5.1 - Vows of Virtue, Deeds of Cruelty

5.2 - Echoes of a Fallen Star

5.3 - Reflections in Crystal

5.4 - Futures Rewritten

5.5 - Death Unto Dawn (Part 1)

5.5 - Death Unto Dawn (Part 2)

Endwalker

There are 108 quests included in the MSQ for Endwalker, ranging from level 80 to 90. With Post-Endwalker quests wrapping up a decade of storytelling and moving on to a whole new story arc for Dawntrail. 

Level 80 

Level 81

Level 82

Level 83

Level 84

Level 85

Level 86

Level 87

Level 88

Level 89

Level 90

Post-Endwalker

There are a total of 44 Post-Endwalker quests added in patches 6.1 to 6.55. These work to wrap up the last 10 years since A Realm Reborn, and also pave the way to the new story of Dawntrail. These are all level 90 quests.

6.1 - Newfound Adventure

6.2 - Buried Memory

6.3 - Gods Revel, Lands Tremble

6.4 - The Dark Throne

6.5 - Growing Light (Part 1)

6.55 - Growing Light (Part 2)

Dawntrail

The MSQ of Dawntrail has exactly 100 quests, and the patches are currently ongoing. This will be updated as and when new quests are added in later patches. 

Level 90