In the 90th Letter from the Producer Live broadcast conducted by the Final Fantasy XIV team, producer/director Naoki Yoshida and global community producer Toshio Murouchi went over content and features to be added to the game in its next major patch: “Into the Mist”.
Otherwise referred to as Patch 7.4, it will release Tuesday, December 16, 2025.
Catch our summary of the major details below. If you’re getting caught up with recent patches, check out our quick reference guide regarding where to unlock content and features in Patch 7.35.
Trailer: Into the Mist
Patch 7.4 (December 16, 2025):
New main scenario quests will continue where Patch 7.3 “The Promise of Tomorrow” left off. During the main scenario, players will challenge a new expert dungeon Mistwake and battle Doomtrain in the trial Hell on Rails. The third and final tier of the Arcadion raid “Heavyweight Tier” added, and a new Unreal trial versus Tsukuyomi will be swapped into replace the current trial.
A new Frontline map Worqor Chiteh will be added as part of a new “Triumph” mode, and a new course for the Air Force One minigame in the Manderville Gold Saucer will be added: The Cieldalaes.
The glamour system will be updated where items can be glamoured irrespective of their role, job, or level requirements, sans weapon types. A Strategy Board function will be available to players to share and coordinate strategies in-game to plan for difficult content, and a Command Panel function has been added to store actions that would otherwise take up precious UI space. A Clear Green and Clear White UI theme have also been added.
The Occult Crescent will be updated with three new phantom jobs and new accessories made for exploring the isle and Duty Support will see A Realm Reborn duties Dzemael Darkhold and Aurum Vale added to its roster of NPC-compatible dungeons. Deep Dungeon will also be updated, where, if you are disconnected while solo-ing, or if the entire party is disconnected, you can resume your progress if you log back in within ten minutes.
(January 6, 2026):
The Savage difficulty version of The Arcadion Heavyweight Tier will release. It’s later than normal to allow for players to have enough time to spend their upcoming holiday season without much stress.
Patch 7.41 (Est: Early 2026):
A new destination for Cosmic Exploration will be added: Oizys. Players will be able to further enhance phantom weapons and cosmic tools.
Patch 7.45 (Est: Early 2026):
A new variant and criterion dungeon will be added: The Merchant’s Tale. Players will accompany one of Y’shtola’s siblings into a picture book-like world, and more Hildibrand quests will be added.
Raid
The Arcadion – Heavyweight Tier
Yoshida demonstrated the duty AAC Heavyweight M2, the second floor of the third and final raid tier arriving in Patch 7.4. In it, we observe two opponents that tag in for each other and use mechanics that turn the stage into lava and a massive wave that sweeps over the arena.
Additionally, we learn that one of the songs that will be featured in this raid series was produced as a collaboration with Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine, Audioslave, Prophets of Rage), Tyler Smith, and Caleb Shomo (Beartooth). Morello appeared in a short video during the broadcast. Jason Charles Miller (Godhead) who has performed for several of the game’s signature songs, arranged for the collaboration.
A digital single of the song “Everything Burns” will be released Wednesday, December 17th, 2025.
Frontlines: Triumph
Worqor Chiteh
With Patch 7.4, PvP Series 10 will begin, introducing new rewards. Additionally, replicas of the Wolf and Eagle gear previously available through Season 1 and 2 of The Feast will be added, exchangeable with commendation crystals. They will have a different color palette and will be also be distinguishable from the original rewards.
The team demonstrated a new Frontlines PvP map Worqor Chiteh, as part of a new mode: Triumph. Here, players are will compete to claim Triumphs, nodes on the map that will require you to stand in circles orbiting the node until it is claimed. Here, the team says they want to players to press the attack – where playing more aggressively will be important. Weather effects will also impact this map. Snow will cause frosty hazards to appear on the map and snow spirits will appear and obstruct points on the map. Aurora will appear and cause the limit break gauge to fill faster and higher value Triumphs to more frequently appear.
Glamour Update
As previously announced, restrictions on glamour based on level, job and class will be removed. Additionally, certain class/job exclusive-gear, starting gear, and “fashion gear” (other than Lv. 1) will now be treated as glamours. Individual items that are part of an outfit can now be stored in the glamour dresser as an outfit, even if all the items are not obtained yet.
Furthermore, the new crafted items in this patch have a “magical girl” theme.
Variant & Criterion Dungeon
The Merchant’s Tale
A new variant and criterion dungeon, The Merchant’s Tale will be added in Patch 7.45. Here, players will accompany a sibling of Y’shtola into a world within a picture book. Like other variant dungeons, there will be different paths you can follow based on the choices you make while exploring, and that will also tweak the mechanics of bosses you encounter as well. The team demonstrated two routes including their paths.
New this time is an Advanced version of the criterion dungeon, where players can challenge any of three bosses in any order they desire, and may opt to challenge one or all bosses in the duty. Rewards for each boss will be dispensed directly after that boss’s defeat.
A new Variant Action: Variant Eagle Eye Shot will be added for all roles, in which you can deal a high amount of damage to a single target. Variant Raise II, which revives one ally, will only be available in criterion dungeons. Each player will only be able to use this action once per boss encounter.
Command Panel
The Command Panel, inspired by player feedback, allows for for tabs of 25 actions to be set. A method to clear up space on hotbars and your HUD for actions that you use occasionally.
You can adjust settings like automatic close when action is used, open at mouse position, open the last panel used, locking the command panel’s position, etc. Opening the second of four panels, Yoshida places Black Mage actions into it. Each panel can be directly accessible on a hotbar as well.
Demonstrating the command panel with a gamepad and cross hotbar, Yoshida demonstrated that when setting actions in the action list, the prompt offers to allow you to set to the command panel. When the command panel is open, pages can be quickly turned by pressing the left and right bumpers. Pressing the Y button (Xbox controller config) will also let you accelerate cursor selection.
Strategy Board
The Strategy Board allows you to display a strategy diagram throughout a duty. Players can share and display the same strategy board within a party. You can prepare a strategy board by making it from scratch yourself, loading a preset, receive it from a party member, or receive it via a share code. Save up to 50 strategies which can be placed into folders containing up to 10 strategies.
Yoshida demonstrates the strategy board UI, including folders with his saved presets and a menu to start from scratch. You can name a specific strategy board he built from presets. Note that you can set your role to be highlighted within yours or someone else’s board so that you know specifically what your position or designation is.
Objects include job icons as well, should you prefer. In another tab, various mechanics are displayed. Yoshida drags and drops the mechanics into the board and places and adjusts them. Yoshida demonstrates resizing, changing the angle, transparency, and other settings within a submenu.
You can also add text to a board. As an example, Yoshida adds: “MT-san watch where you’re looking!” Where necessary, you can toggle icons to designate between different types of DPS.
You can also “screenshare” your strategy board while editing, allowing for a group discussion in how they are configured. Yoshida demonstrated this where he is editing the panel while another player is observing his edits. There’s a little bit of latency but the icons move according to where Yoshida places.
Strategy boards can be sent to all party members at the touch of a button. You can share individual boards and entire folders. Up to 20 board from other players can be stored temporarily. Save what you want to keep! You will be able to share codes can be generated to allow for sharing outside of the game as well—on social media for example.
Announcements
- Eorzean Symphony series is now available to stream on various platforms.
- Final Fantasy XIV Orchestral Arrangement Album Vol. 4 announced.
- Final Fantasy XIV Orchestral Arrangement Vinyl LP Box annoucned.
- Berlin, Germany Fan Festival 2026 ticket details.
- Fantasian Neo Dimension collaboration items for MogStation, out December 16, 2025.
- FFXIV TTRPG Stormblood rulebook releases August 2026.
- A permanent merchandise shop in Akihabara opening December 19, 2025.
- New fragrances based on Emet-Selch, Hythlodaeus & Venat
- A themed neck speaker by Panasonic.
- Collector’s Edition digital upgrade items are half off through Sunday.
- 7.4 patch note reading broadcast airs patch day.
Final Fantasy XIV is also hiring game content testers for temporary positions for a three month period starting mid-January 2026. Job requirements: experience clearing Ultimate raids. Students are accepted. Yoshida noted that is how they have hired previous staff members including raid designer Masaki “Mr. Ozma” Nakagawa.
In closing, Yoshida says they are doing their best to have everyone enjoy the game over the holidays. The team is also resting over this period in preparation for next year’s global fan festivals and they are looking forward to them.
