The director of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, delayed the upcoming expansion, Dawntrail, so he and other fans could enjoy FromSoftware's Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree DLC.
During the recent PAX East conference, Yoshida, lovingly referred to as Yoshi-P, gave fans a ton of information about FFXIV Dawntrail, the first major expansion for the MMO since Endwalker was released in 2021, including the July 2 release date, with early access starting on June 28.
As it turns out, it seems Dawntrail could've been released a little bit sooner if not for Elden Ring, with Shadow of the Erdtree releasing on June 20. During the presentation, Yoshi-P mentioned delaying the expansion so that players could enjoy the FromSoftware DLC for one of the greatest games of all time, according to many.
We figured everybody would be interested in playing the Elden Ring DLC. I'll give you one week!
Yoshi-P was earnest and very honest stating that he also wants to dive deep into Shadow of the Erdtree, which had its June 20 release date confirmed back in February.
In all fairness, business-wise it also makes sense not to go toe-to-toe with a FromSoftware title, especially one as critically acclaimed and commercially successful as Elden Ring, even if Final Fantasy XIV is a powerhouse in its own right.
At the very least, it will allow those interested in both Shadow of the Erdtree and Dawntrail to dip their toes into the former before jumping into all the massive changes the latter will offer.
Some of the changes coming to Final Fantasy XIV with Dawntrail include a major graphical overhaul, a new region to explore, more DPS-focused jobs, an extensive list of dungeons to explore and farm, and much more.
Final Fantasy fans have been eating good this year and Dawntrail will be the cherry on top of a giant cake that has included the release of the acclaimed Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and a major DLC for Final Fantasy 16, The Rising Tide, coming this April.