FFXIV 6.25 - Release date, patch notes, relic weapons, and new content

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A Criterion dungeon boss fight in FFXIV 6.25.
October 17, 2022: FFXIV 6.25 launches tomorrow!

The FFXIV 6.25 release date is right around the corner. Initially set to release before the end of the month, the latest live letter revealed it to be coming a little sooner than expected. Read on to find out what you'll be getting up to on release day.

The latest mid-content patch is one of the more interesting FFXIV updates to date. Past quarter updates have typically followed a pretty straightforward and recognisable pattern of new additions, but 6.25 is set to add something that's been asked for (and mentioned) for years.

For more on Final Fantasy XIV, you'll want to check out the FFXIV 6.2 quest locations page we wrote up for that update. After that, check out the detailed Final Fantasy XIV Island Sanctuary guide for some quick tips on how to maximise your efforts there.

When is the FFXIV 6.25 release date?

With the latest live letter stream over and done with, we now know that the FFXIV 6.25 release date is October 18, 2022.

That's actually a week earlier than we predicted going off previous projections from the team. In fact, that's only ten days after the proper reveal of its content - which puts it in the realm of a Genshin Impact kind of turnaround time from showcase to availability.

To find out exactly when it'll go live, check out our FFXIV 6.25 maintenance timer page.

FFXIV 6.25 patch notes

The FFXIV 6.25 patch notes are expected to arrive a day or two before the planned release date. Check back then for the finer details.

FFXIV 6.25 new content and features

The FFXIV 6.25 patch is set to include two major new additions to the game: Variant/Criterion dungeons and the Endwalker relic weapons. Here's how that's set to go down.

Variant dungeons

These are new dungeons set to welcome 1-4 players with a challenge that differs each time.

Similar to Palace of the Dead or Heaven-on-High but without the floor-based system, you'll be exploring a brand-new dungeon with branching paths and enemies with scaling difficulty.

Revives aren't allowed, so be on your guard and rotate those cooldowns.

A Variant dungeon in FFXIV 6.25.
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Criterion dungeons

Basically a hard mode version of Variant dungeons, a Criterion dungeon features fixed pathways for players to explore, but tunes the enemy difficulty even higher, which should make for dungeons that can't just be wall-pulled.

Expect to need crowd-control spells like Sleep, Repose, and Freeze, and maybe even some potent food and potions to make it through. You can revive your teammates in here, but a wipe means going back to the start.

Endwalker relic weapons - Manderville weapon enhancement quests

Improving on the timeline of the Shadowbringers relic quest, the Endwalker relic weapon release date is set for patch 6.25.

It's not as clear-cut as regular relic weapon steps, though. You can't just dive right into this one at max level with a little quest chain. Instead, it's locked behind the comical Hildebrand quest chain kickstarted in A Realm Reborn (or 1.0 if we're lucky enough to have experienced that).

With the release date set for October 18, that means you have just over a week from the live letter to finish up the Hildebrand quest chain in time for the new relic weapon drop.

We get that they're not technically relic weapons by name, but it's a hallmark term the FFXIV community has used since the good old days of Thyrus and Gae Bolg. If you upgrade them multiple times in one expansion, they're relic weapons in our book.

Omicron tribal quests

Last on the big list of known FFXIV 6.25 content is the addition of the Omicron tribe quests.

These despaired remnants of Omega's lineage (and grand conquerers of many a FFXIV world) are apparently prepared to dish out currency and experience points to adventurers looking to foster a friendship with the maniacal machines.

The Omicron tribal quests are designed for gathering classes. So if you haven't yet levelled up your Botanist, Fisher, or Miner classes this expansion, you might as well wait until 6.25.

A Lopporit pondering an Omicron in FFXIV 6.25.
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FFXIV 6.25 job changes, buffs, nerfs, and adjustments

After most overhauls were pushed back from their 6.2 patch release, it was only right to assume they would arrive (in some form) in the FFXIV 6.28.

During the live letter, however, producer Naoki Yoshida stated that although some job changes would be implemented with patch 6.25, they would be minor, with a few more changes planned for 6.28 in the near future.

Beyond that, it would appear that the proposed overhauls for classes like Astrologian are being saved for 6.3

We won't get the finer details like potency changes until the final patch notes prior to release, but the live letter did set out to say that the PvP Paladin Cover system will be changed in 6.25 to keep up with the popularity afforded by the new season of Crystalline Conflict.

Minor adjustments to potencies and other actions will take place in both 6.25 and 6.28 for PVE skills, but bigger class changes will arrive in 6.28 for PVP actions.

When is the FFXIV 6.28 release date?

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Because it'll be a much smaller patch by comparison, FFXIV 6.28 won't be getting its own live letter. With that, the FFXIV 6.28 release date was set for November 1: just two weeks after the release of 6.25.

And that's your lot for FFXIV 6.25 before the patch notes come through. Until then, check out how to get MGP fast. This works regardless of the Make It Rain campaign, but it's obviously easier while it's active.

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