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During the Letter from the Producer Live Part LXXVIII featuring Naoki Yoshida, the Director and Producer, along with Toshio "Foxclon" Murouchi, the Global Community Producer, exciting details about the upcoming FFXIV patch 6.5, titled "Growing Light," were revealed.
The patch will be released in two parts, with the first part scheduled for an "early" October 2023 release, followed by the second part in mid-January 2024. However, during the presentation, they focused solely on the details of "part one" of the patch.
An interesting tidbit about the name "Growing Light" surfaced during the event. In the Japanese version of the name, there's a hidden "zero," signifying the continued significance of the character Zero in the ongoing story.
In addition to the patch details, a new roadmap was unveiled, indicating the expected release windows for future patches, coinciding with the upcoming London and Tokyo FFXIV Fan Fests in October 2023 and January 2024.
One significant update that was confirmed prior to the release date reveal was the expansion of the free trial for FFXIV. Square Enix announced that the free trial would now encompass content from two expansions: the base game, Heavensward, and Stormblood. This addition will be made available upon the release of patch 6.5. Until then, the free trial only allowed players to experience content up to level 60 by playing the base game and Stormblood.
Final Fantasy XIV is accessible on the PS4, PS5, and PC platforms, with the release window for patch 6.5 part 1 set for early October 2023. Players can look forward to an extended free trial experience with the introduction of patch 6.5. Furthermore, there are plans for the "Dawntrail" expansion, expected to be released in the summer of 2024.
Lastly, for fans eager to attend the 2023 Fan Festival, it is scheduled to take place in Las Vegas on July 28-29, 2023, and the full schedule for the event is available online.