I was recently able to attend the Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Media Tour, allowing me to test drive some of the locations in the new expansion across a six-hour event.
Keep in mind that this was an early build of Endwalker, so this article is based on an in-development build of Final Fantasy XIV’s much-anticipated expansion. Therefore, content in the final version is subject to change.
With that said, I was able to look at multiple different locations that represent only a handful of areas that will be released at launch. See below for more details.
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker Locations
Garlemald
This destroyed zone is not the area anyone would have imagined years ago when we thought of this town. Players since version 1.0 have been looking forward to pushing forward and attacking the Garleans from the start, but upon loading into the zone, you can see how much devastation has befallen the city. With burning rubble, derailed trains, and wrecked buildings billowing smoke and fire, this is a city that has had a lot of turmoil and now after all the years we are pushing into it.
The whole area is incredibly barren, mountainous and snowy, with destroyed buildings around, although there seems to still be an active train station in the zone. My guess is this is how we will enter the area.
Elsewhere, it appears some people are living inside the trains, no doubt due to how cold the area is and the underground station is a nice warm location for people who might be running away from the fighting or have been pushed out as a result.
I do hope that we will possibly see a doom train reference, as we know that it exists as a method of transporting supplies to Garlemald, and this would be a very nice call back to previous Final Fantasy games.
Thavnair
This is probably my favourite zone of all time. The colours of the area make everything pop out, from the multi coloured rocks, to the beautiful beaches and the running rivers. As such, this zone feels so different to any that we have visited in the past.
With beautiful Eastern-style statues and secret underwater areas dotted round the map, Thavnair feels beautiful and alive. However, there still is some sign of destruction, with areas showing battle damage of some kind, so it will be interesting to see how this transpired.
I was also able to find a Hunt in this zone, which are special enemies that spawn at specific times based on different conditions. From the look of things, there are some new foes to be found here, which is exciting to see.
The biggest question I had on my mind the entire time I was in the zone was the appearance of purple crystal sprouting from the ground. In previous areas players have visited, the crystals are bright Orange, so the purple color suggests that a completely different aether created them.
Finally, I also discovered a giant square arena in the ocean comprised of several pillars but nothing else. With the game having deep dungeons in the past – an underground area sporting up to 200 floors springs to mind – perhaps this random arena will turn out to be another massive dungeon, although we won’t know for sure until the 6x series.
Old Sharalyan
Old Sharalyan is an area that we have been excited to visit for a while now, and is a location with a heap of lore behind it to discover. This is one of the main hub zones that players will be exploring as they progress through the MSQ. A highlight of this area is that you are able to see aetheryte crystals being manufactured in one of the one of the giant mansions you’re able to visit.
For anyone new to the MMO, these are the crystals that are placed around the world allowing you to teleport to different locations. Cities also include mini versions, which allow you to warp to specific districts round the map.
Meanwhile, the markets looked full of life, with NPCs doing their daily chores, and the fishing port looked really active. This will probably serve as a means of accessing the city, though this is just based on a first glance.
For anyone that has played FFXIV, the zone is what Idlyshire would have eventually become before it was left to ruin, and you can see where its inspiration was taken from with the beautiful marble arches and buildings.
After spending several hours visiting the three zones, and the dungeon in my hands on this early build of Endwalker, I really enjoyed seeing all the differences between the locations, from the cold mountain regions of Garlemald to the Beautiful open areas of Thavnair.
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker is scheduled for release on November 19 via Early Access and goes on general release on November 23 for PS5, PS4, and PC,