Final Fantasy XIV’s big updates are back on track after COVID-19-related delays to patch 5.3, and we’re closing in on the launch of the next major release. Another patch 5.4 live letter has been scheduled for later this month, and that more or less confirms that the Final Fantasy XIV patch 5.4 release date is coming very soon.
The next live Letter from the Producer will broadcast on Friday, November 27 at 3:00 PST / 6:00 EST / 11:00 GMT. These broadcasts typically run for about three hours, and are hosted entirely in Japanese. However, the prepared slides that accompany the broadcast are shown in English, so you can get a solid idea of what’s coming.
Patch 5.4 has already been confirmed for a December release, and major updates typically launch about two weeks after a new live letter. So while it’s not yet confirmed, you might want to circle December 8 on your gaming calendar.
Early patch 5.4 notes have confirmed the Eden’s Promise raid, a Blue Mage update, and an ‘explorer’ mode that will let you look around dungeons without fear of bad guys. 5.4 is also going to restore auto-demolition for housing, so if you’ve got a house on ice, you might want to log in soon.
Depending on which Final Fantasy XIV server you play on, player housing can be very different experiences. If you are on a server like mine, it can be a fun time waster and sink for your excess gil, allowing yourself or your free company to design and decorate a hangout spot of your liking – from a small cottage to a massive mansion. But if you are on one of the more populated servers it can be a source of stress, with many people vying for a limited number of free plots, and updates which introduce new housing districts as “Housing Savage”.
This issue has been exacerbated across all servers since the COVID-19 pandemic hit, with the standard 40-day auto demolition timers for all housing being indefinitely postponed. Additional districts were added a short while back to mitigate this impact, but ultimately many still came up short – especially those looking to upgrade to a medium or large plot.
The Square Enix development team has confirmed that auto demolition timers will recommence as soon as Patch 5.4, currently scheduled to go live in December 2020, goes live on servers. This means that those taking time of during the holiday season may want to keep an eye out for any desirable plots becoming free. Depending on how the COVID-19 pandemic continues from this point, additional timer suspensions have not been ruled out.
For more information on how this may impact you, visit the official Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone website.