Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail - everything we know about the MMO's upcoming expansion

The Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail expansion is nearly upon us after a year of waiting and teases, and it’s ready to take us to the MMO's next grand adventure. With the 6x patch series now having wrapped up, the stage is set for Dawntrail’s story to bring us to an entirely new region in Final Fantasy 14, complete with brand new Main Scenario Quests and, as always, a deluge of side stuff to see and do.

Considering the prestige of Square Enix's MMO expansions to date, it's not a stretch to say that Dawntrail is one of the most anticipated new games of 2024. To prepare you for everything you need to hit the trails at launch, we'll walk you through everything you need to know about Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail expansion. 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail news 

• As Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail benchmark turns some of the MMOs players into cursed beings with "lifeless" eyes, Yoshi-P apologizes and promises a new one 
• After making Final Fantasy 14 more accessible to solo RPG fans, Yoshi-P wants an even more "fulfilling" MMO experience with better "refined" multiplayer 
• Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail expansion is coming a week after the Elden Ring DLC so Yoshi-P can binge Shadow of the Erdtree first  

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail release date 

The Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail release date is July 2, which just happens to be a Tuesday, so there might be a fair few people out there pulling a sickie for the rest of the week afterwards. 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Early Access 

The Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Early Access release date is June 28, so if you’re really fussed about playing the MMO’s next expansion as soon as possible, you can jump in a few days earlier. All you need to do to gain early access to Dawntrail is pre-order any version of the expansion - this can be the $39.99 standard edition, so don’t worry about shelling out $59.99 for the Digital Collector’s Edition.

Final Fantasy 14 7.0 release date 

Similarly, the Final Fantasy 7.0 release date is set for June 28, the same day that Dawntrail launches into early access. If you’re unfamiliar with how things work for Square Enix's MMO, the big numerical patches always launch alongside the expansions on the exact same day, so that's the day we can expect the big graphical overhaul to debut.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail trailer  

For the best look at the new expansion, check out the full Dawntrail trailer just above. This gives us a great look at the sort of new landscapes we’ll be venturing to in just a few weeks, as well as new enemies, and the plot of the MMO’s new expansion. 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail pre-order bonuses 

If you put down the $39.99 for Dawntrail ahead of the early access release date of June 28, you’ll guarantee yourself two pre-order bonuses. These are a Wind-Up Zidane Minion, perfect if you're an old-school Final Fantasy 9 fan, and the Azeyma's Earrings item, which grant the player a 30% EXP bonus up to character level 90. 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail PC minimum requirements  

Just below, you can find a list of the minimum PC requirements for Dawntrail. Keep in mind that Square Enix’s own website reveals that these are “provisional” system requirements, so they could end up changing between now and launch. 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-7700 or higher 
• Memory: 8GB or higher  
• SSD space: 140GB or more  
• Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX970 (4GB) or higher/AMD Radeon RX 480 or higher 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail PC recommended requirements 

For a smoother experience, you’ll want to keep to the recommended PC specs for Dawntrail, found just below. Again, these are merely the “provisional” recommended PC specs for the expansion, so they could end up changing prior to launch. 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-9700 or higher 
• Memory: 16GB or higher  
• SSD space: 140GB or more  
• Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce GTX2060 (6GB) or higher/AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT or higher 

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail new areas  

It sort of goes without saying that one of the most exciting parts of a new Final Fantasy 14 expansion is exploring new lands, with the stories that accompany them. Over the last few weeks, Square Enix has teased a smattering of Dawntrail’s brand new locations, and we’ve compiled a complete list of all the teasers to date just below. 

It definitely looks like Dawntrail will be one of the more culturally diverse Final Fantasy 14 expansions to date, and that’s saying something, considering we went to new lands and the literal moon in Endwalker.  

For more you dive into right now, check out our pick of the best MMORPGs.