Graphical Update in FFXIV Dawntrail

Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, Dawntrail, will feature the first ever graphical update the game has received. The game will receive sweeping graphical changes to update the quality of the game while keeping the core feel and identity the same. To learn more about the expansion, visit our Dawntrail Home Page.

All character textures will be receiving an upgrade. While no new character customization options were seen, characters from all races look extremely improved from the previous iteration. The development team has taken the time to update polygons and mapping for all characters, making them look better in the new shadows and lighting. NPCs will also receive updates, though the updates will be applied periodically making some NPCs look much better than others at the beginning.

Equipment in Dawntrail will receive a second dye channel, allowing for further glamour customization for all players. While the developers have stated most equipment will be able to receive two separate dye channels, certain housing items will not be able to have two dyes applied to them as the technical demand is too strenous. Even so, having two separate dye channels per piece is an extremely welcomed change to character customization.

All textures and materials will also be receiving updates. However, the new graphics will be rolled out with the newest expansion content in Patch 7.0 receiving updates first, then subsequently older expansions will receive updates to their graphics. Dawntrail will be the most visually stunning FFXIV expansion to date, but older expansions will look just as good eventually.

Auto-generated environments will also receive an overhaul, making them look much better before. The grass textures will become more vibrant, and the consistent lighting system will make the world look fresh and alive.

In addition to the various new textures, new settings will also be added for players with high-end graphics cards that allows them to upscale graphics, enable dynamic resolution, and scale resolution with 3D graphics.