Final Fantasy XIV has allowed players to traverse through the lands of Eorzea and beyond for over 10 years, though its age has been visually apparent for some time. Players will soon experience FFXIV with a new look thanks to an upcoming graphic overhaul.
During the recent Letter from the Producer livestream, the FFXIV team revealed that, for the first time in 10 years, the MMORPG will be undergoing extensive changes to its graphics to modernize the game. This will include changes to environments, characters, and gear that will be “suited to a multiplayer environment.”
The team showcased some of the changes in the early stages of development. Examples included samples of how the graphics changes will impact the look of the game’s various races, some popular maps, and even the grass that extends across the world. Shadows, lighting, and textures were also major discussion points during the livestream, and will be looked at closely during the overhaul development.
During the livestream, the FFXIV team emphasized this graphics overhaul will not be comparable to standalone titles released on current generation consoles since the MMORPG’s sheer size requires attention in multiple places. The hardware requirements needed to use certain graphics in the game will also be changed, though details have not yet been specified.
This overhaul to FFXIV’s graphics is not expected to be fully implemented into the game until Patch 7.0. The update won’t be released until the launch of the game’s next expansion, which has not been detailed. The MMORPG is in the series of Patch 6.0, acknowledging the release of its most recent expansion, Endwalker, which completes the ongoing story of Hydaelyn and Zodiark. Players can look forward to more information regarding this massive graphics overhaul when FFXIV‘s Patch 7.0 draws closer.
