Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 Will Revamp Quests and Finally Bring in Flying Mounts to A Realm Reborn Areas

Square Enix hosted its latest Letter from the Producer LIVE broadcast with new info on Final Fantasy XIV Patch 5.3 – Reflections in Crystal. Patch 5.3 continues the Shadowbringers storyline and NieR series crossover raid series. It also brings plenty of QoL improvements to A Realm Reborn areas, including the addition of flying mounts in the 2.x areas.

Patch 5.3 – Reflections in Crystal

New Main Scenario Quests

The curtains rise for the final act of the Shadowbringers main scenario questline.

A Realm Reborn Revamp

The main scenario revamp is a big one for new players. The revamp will better streamline the main scenario quests for A Realm Reborn. This includes the removal of a number of quests, additional experience points and gear added to quests, and more to ensure a smoother journey to Heavensward.

It basically makes it much less grindy for new adventurers early in the game. So for those of you who are considering getting into Final Fantasy XIV, I would definitely recommend waiting for the Patch 5.3 revamp.

Flying mounts were introduced in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward (3.x) and they’ll finally get to fly in A Realm Reborn (2.x) areas. Players must complete the Main Scenario Quest “The Ultimate Weapon” to unlock it. Best of all, A Realm Reborn areas will not require Aether Currents to unlock.

New YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Alliance Raid

The NieR series crossover raid YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse Chapter 2 is titled “The Puppets’ Bunker”. It is a follow-up to “The Copied Factory” from Patch 5.1.

New Dungeon: The Heroes’ Gauntlet

A new instanced dungeon for players to tackle alongside fellow adventurers, or with a party of NPCs using the Trust system.

New Trial

A secret new trial that will be available for parties of eight players to challenge in normal and extreme difficulties.

Save the Queen Questline Updates

Players will get to further enhance weapons obtained in the first chapter of the ongoing quest series. In addition to an all-new area, it will have new large-scale battle content as part of the update. It is called “The Bozjan Southern Front” and it will be similar to Eureka but with its own unique features.

New Chronicles of a New Era Quest: The Sorrow of Welt

The latest from the Weapon Series questline. Players can enjoy a story-focused experience culminating in a special event battle.

Ishgard Restoration Update

The third phase of the Ishgardian Restoration update will kick off in Patch 5.3. The Skybuilder Rankings return with new items and achievements.

New Beast Tribe Quests

The latest Beast Tribe Quests featuring Dwarves and crafting.

New Game+ Updates

Players can revisit A Realm Reborn main scenario quests and other quests while keeping their current character and level. Furthermore, major cities will get new token exchange vendors for the update.

Unreal Trials and Faux Hollows

Adventurers will get to challenge a new trial difficulty called “Unreal” trials. These are powered-up Primals from earlier expansions that you fight with a party synced to level 80. Moreover, Unreal Trials will feature one Primal fight which will change with each patch. The first is Shiva in Patch 5.3. Defeating the Primal gives players a chance to play the “Faux Hollows” mini-game once per week. It will have tokens that can be exchanged for various prizes.

Crafter and Gatherer Updates

New custom deliveries, updates to Rowena’s House of Splendors, updates to the Skysteel Tools questline, and more.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for PlayStation 4 and PC. There’s currently a Free Login Campaign going on that gives returning players 192 hours of free playtime.