Endwalker arrived on December 7, 2021 as Final Fantasy XIV Patch 6.0 and it finishes the Hydaelyn–Zodiark story arc while adding new systems, areas, and jobs that changed how people play. I’ve played through the expansion myself and I can say this: it’s ambitious, sometimes messy, and often brilliant. There are exceptions, of course (depends on your server and schedule).
🌟 New Jobs: Reaper and Sage
The Reaper and the Sage both start at level 70. Reaper uses a scythe and summons an Avatar to boost burst damage; Sage uses floating nouliths and focuses on barriers with the Kardia mechanic, which links your healing to your damage. In my experience Reaper is fun when you like aggressive play; Sage shines if you prefer preventing damage over constant restorative heals.
| Job | Role | Start | Weapon | Key Mechanic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reaper | Melee DPS | 70 | Scythe | Avatar / Soul Gauge |
| Sage | Healer | 70 | Nouliths | Kardia / Barriers |
Pro tip: you must have any other job at 70 to unlock either new job. This doesn’t always feel fair, but it prevents players from skipping the earlier progression.
🗺️ Zones and Level Cap
The level cap rose to 90. Endwalker adds six major zones: Old Sharlayan, Thavnair, Garlemald, Mare Lamentorum (on the moon), Labyrinthos, and Ultima Thule. Old Sharlayan is the main hub city—think libraries, research, and narrow streets stacked like bookshelves.
- Old Sharlayan — scholarly hub
- Thavnair — tropical trade and color
- Garlemald — ruined imperial heart
- Mare Lamentorum — lunar plains
- Labyrinthos — subterranean research
- Ultima Thule — reality-bending frontier
Why this matters: each zone changes pacing and enemy design, so your rotation and consumable choices should shift as you move through them. Believe me, potion timing that works in Garlemald won’t work the same on the moon.
⚔️ Endgame: Raids, Trials, Dungeons
Pandæmonium remains a central raid series introduced across 6.x, and the trials keep pushing cinematic presentation. The Trust system lets you play story dungeons with NPCs, which I’ve found useful when queues are long or you want to experience story dungeons solo.
Some players argue raids got easier; others say mechanics are more creative now. Controversial? Yes. I think raid difficulty shifted toward choreography over punishing DPS checks (this may bother hardcore raiders!).
Advice: don’t skip the story dungeons even if you speedrun—narrative fights often teach you encounter rhythm that helps in raids.
🎨 UI and QoL
Endwalker improved accessibility: colorblind filters, larger font scaling, and more HUD customization options were added. Inventory and glamour management saw practical updates; search tools improved across retainers so you don’t have to manually open each one anymore (thank goodness!).
- Better colorblind options and HUD scaling
- Improved retainer search across your characters
- More layout slots for HUDs and profiles
Why fix these things? Because clarity reduces mistakes in raids and makes long play sessions less tiring. Honestly, those small changes matter more than flashy content when you play a lot.
📊 Combat and Job Tuning
The design direction trimmed redundant actions and merged similar status effects so bars aren’t cluttered. I’ve noticed this makes new-player onboarding smoother while keeping depth for veterans. Role actions were tweaked: tanks got better mitigation tools; healers received emergency options; DPS gained mobility—so groups handle unexpected mechanics with more leeway.
| Category | Change | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Tanks | Simplified combos, more mitigation | Medium |
| Healers | Emergency tools, MP tweaks | High |
| DPS | Mobility and proc clarity | Medium |
Watch this: streamlining often makes the skill ceiling more about decision-making than button count—so practice awareness, not just rotations.
Practical Tips (short)
I’ve learned a few things the hard way. First, read boss telegraphs even on casual fights. Second, use Kardia wisely—linking it to a high-survivability teammate usually pays off. Third, don’t hoard materia forever.
/macroname "Opener"
# Example macro template — customize to your gear and latency
/ac "BuffAbility"
/ac "DamageAbility"
/wait 2
Final Notes (from me)
I’ll be blunt: Endwalker isn’t flawless. Some zones drag in places; a few fight designs felt overstuffed. Surprisingly, the story beats landed for me on December 7, 2021 and still hold up as of November 26, 2025. If you play for lore, this expansion rewards patience. If you play for min-maxing, expect balance tweaks to keep you guessing. Between us, that’s part of the fun!
One last odd thought: barrier healing can make groups lazier about positioning—so don’t rely on shields alone. There are exceptions, of course, and your mileage will depend on your playgroup.
Want a quick starter plan? Level any job to 70, unlock Reaper or Sage, finish the main scenario to reach 90, then tackle paired dungeons for gear and learn one raid fight before jumping into a full tier. It works—most of the time.
