During the London Fan Fest, Final Fantasy 14 gives players another look at the graphical improvements
Final Fantasy 14 will receive a major graphical update with the launch of the Dawntrail expansion in summer 2024, but the development team cautioned that the improvements shown are subject to change.
Initial feedback from fans about the Dawntrail graphics update was positive, leading Square Enix to make further refinements based on player suggestions, including subtle changes to character models such as the eyes and facial features.
Square Enix recommends PC players to upgrade their graphics cards to Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT (or newer) for optimal performance in Dawntrail. The company also expressed its commitment to continuously refining the graphics based on player feedback.
During a London Fan Fest panel, Final Fantasy 14 gave players another look at the graphical update coming to the game when the Dawntrail expansion launches in the summer of 2024. While the graphical update for Final Fantasy 14 is the first major one for the game in over a decade, the development team stressed that all the improvements done were subject to change prior to launch.
In July 2023, Final Fantasy 14 gave Las Vegas Fan Fest attendees and stream viewers a first look at Dawntrail, including a glimpse of the graphical update planned for the Final Fantasy 14 expansion. While the developers said the graphical update was not indicative of the final product that would arrive with the expansion, Final Fantasy 14 fans took a liking to what was shown during the convention. Since then, Square Enix has taken initial feedback into consideration with the next pass of updates and showed fans the results of its progress.
The first day of the 2023 London Fan Fest saw Square Enix pull back the curtain on further refinements made to the Dawntrail graphics update, and some of these improvements were compiled on social media by Final Fantasy 14 players. While the changes were slight, the focus was on the eyes of the Hyur, Miqo’te, and Au Ra player character models. In one slide, the Au Ra horns and the limbal rings in their eyes were given more subdued hues in response to feedback. In another slide, the facial features of the Miqo’te were stretched out a little. Other features, such as Elezen ears, Hrothgar fur, and the armor for the new Viper Job, were shown off as well. This close-up included a closer look at the Viper’s leather jacket and hood, both of which will be earned by players in Dawntrail.
Square Enix also reminded PC players to upgrade their graphics cards to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2060 Super, an AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT, or newer in order to enjoy Dawntrail at the recommended settings. On social media, reception to the graphics update was met with positivity from Final Fantasy 14 players. With plenty of customization options available to Final Fantasy 14 players, Square Enix said that it would continue to refine the graphics of the player character models and keep track of player feedback.
Between the graphical update and a renewed focus on group content compared to Endwalker, Dawntrail aims to be a fresh start for current and returning Final Fantasy 14 players. Only time will tell if it will hit the mark.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5, with an Xbox Series X/S version launching in Spring 2024.
