Flying across Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers changes how you explore the First. I’ve flown dozens of hours here, and I’ll be blunt: you must collect Aether Currents and hit certain story milestones before you can take off. This is practical, not mysterious — the system ties exploration to the Main Scenario so you actually see the zones before zipping over them (this doesn’t always sit well with everyone).
🌟 What you need first
You need the Shadowbringers expansion and to have finished Stormblood’s main story (level 70+). You also need the Aether Compass, which you get early in Heavensward, and at least one flying-capable mount unlocked from earlier expansions. In my experience, missing any of those will stop you dead in the air.
📍 MSQ gates by zone (why they exist)
Why force story progress before flight? Because the developers want you to meet the characters and locations on foot first — I get that, though honestly it can feel like an artificial roadblock if you just want to sightsee. There are exceptions, and it depends on your pacing and playstyle.
Here’s the MSQ checkpoint table many players use (check your journal if the titles differ in your language). These match the zone milestones used to unlock flight as of November 26, 2025.
| Zone | Required MSQ Quest | Approx. Level |
|---|---|---|
| Lakeland | The Lightwardens | 73 |
| Kholusia | Extinguishing the Last Light | 74 |
| Amh Araeng | A Brief Reprieve | 75 |
| Il Mheg | The Unbroken Thread | 76 |
| Rak’tika Greatwood | Seeking Assistance | 77 |
| The Tempest | Beneath the Surface | 79 |
🗺️ Aether Currents: the real work
Each major Shadowbringers zone needs about 15 Aether Currents to unlock flight — usually a mix of field spawns and quest rewards. Field ones are those blue, shimmering orbs; quest ones come from sidequests or the MSQ. We found the split is roughly ten field and five quest currents in many zones (but there are exceptions).
Use your Aether Compass. It points and shows distance. I’ve stood on cliffs thinking a current was out of reach, only to find it tucked under a ledge — the compass saved me. By the way, always open the Travel menu to see which currents are missing (field or quest). That little check will save hours.
⚡ Where currents hide (short primer)
Lakeland is compact and forgiving. It’s the best place to learn how the compass works.
Kholusia hides currents in multi-level areas and Eulmore’s platforms; look up and under walkways. Amh Araeng spreads currents across wide desert vistas and cracked spires; some require climbing or going underground. Il Mheg and Rak’tika demand careful vertical searching. The Tempest has tricky winds and platforming. (Yes, you’ll climb stuff.)
🎯 Quest-locked currents — approach
Start by picking up all blue-marked sidequests in each settlement. Complete chains as you find them. Many quest currents are narrative rewards; skip those and you’ll still be short. To be efficient, finish sidequests when you first explore a zone instead of hoarding them.
Small checklist idea (copy it into a note):
Zone: [Name]
MSQ: [Current quest]
Side quests: [X/Y]
Quest currents: [X/5]
Field currents: [X/10]
Flight: [Locked/Unlocked]✈️ Activating flight and controls
When you hit 15 currents and the MSQ gate, flight unlocks automatically. There’s no flashy notification — you’ll just be able to summon a flying mount and rise. That surprised me at first!
- Ascend: Space (default)
- Descend: X (default)
- Forward/back: W / S
- Strafe: A / D
- Camera: mouse
“You’ll know because the mount gains true altitude; no special pop-up.” — from my logbook
If you bind things differently, change keys under System → Keybind → Movement. Flight speed follows whatever mount bonuses you have (mount speed materia and company buffs still apply). Crossing into a non-unlocked zone grounds you immediately; that’s intentional.
Tips, caveats, and a weird insight
Tip: check the Travel menu before leaving. Caveat: quest titles may vary by localization, so verify in your journal. Also, this doesn’t always work for every oddball area — some small subzones behave differently (there are exceptions).
Oddly enough, unlocking flight made me notice small art details I’d missed on foot. Counterintuitive? Maybe, but seeing a ruin from above shows shortcuts and hidden paths you wouldn’t find otherwise. That’s the payoff.
Controversial: I think MSQ gates encourage rushing the story just to fly, which undermines exploration for some players. Another debatable point — the gating helps social gameplay by keeping new players on the same beats. Which side are you on?
Between us, don’t stress if you can’t unlock everything in one sitting. Take your time. Personally, I prefer scouting on foot first; others will disagree loudly. 😊
Quick troubleshooting
- If a current won’t register: relog (yes, it still helps sometimes).
- If the Travel menu shows missing quest currents: check nearby settlement quest givers.
- Still stuck? Ask your Free Company or server community — many players map currents and share coordinates.
Final note: collecting currents rewards patience and curiosity. I’ve played since before 2019 (Shadowbringers released July 2, 2019), and as of November 26, 2025, the mechanics described here match the live game. Go find those currents — the First has more secrets from above than you think. Oh — and one more thing, I forgot to mention earlier, sometimes a jump fails; just try again.
