
Happy new year to all you FFXIVers out there!
This is Producer & Director Naoki Yoshida.
We ended last year with the release of Patch 7.4 on December 16, and I hope Warriors of Light the world over are enjoying a memorable holiday season both at home and in Eorzea. The Development team has already finished preparations for the release of the savage tier raid, along with a number of other updates, so I'm pleased to say they're all taking a hard-earned rest.
That said, it won't be long before April is here, and with it the next Fan Festival. There will be plenty to share about what's next for FFXIV, so it'll be full steam ahead when we return to the office!
This year marks thirteen years since the release of A Realm Reborn. The state of the world and the way we live in it have changed considerably in that time, even if we tend not to notice the gradual shifts that shape our lives day by day. Even having worked primarily with FFXIV throughout these years, I can't help but feel the weight of those changes as I pause to reflect.
FFXIV has already taken its first step on a new ten-year journey, and this year will mark an especially significant second step. As I said, the world is changing, and FFXIV must be ready to change alongside it—reflecting the demands of an evolving market, as well as the ways you live and play. Drawing on everything we've learned, we are fully committed to delivering new experiences and fresh surprises in the years ahead. I hope you're looking forward to the next update, as well as everything we have planned for the upcoming Fan Festivals!
...And just as I was contemplating my keynote speech, what should I find but this note slid under my office door.

Eloquent words that paint a scene both serene and contemplative. Grappling with the restless tides of change, lessons learned on wind and wave no doubt carry this young author ever forward to exciting new horizons. Words worth aspiring to, I'd say.
We have a great deal ahead of us, starting with the North American Fan Festival in Anaheim, followed very closely by Patch 7.5. Before you know it, we'll be gathering again this summer in Berlin for the European Fan Festival, and then in October for yet another one here in Japan. On top of that, the Chinese version has caught up to our global release schedule, with the Korean version not far behind—making for an especially busy time for the team. There's much and more I'd love to share with you right now, but I ask that you wait just a little longer, until the start of the Fan Festivals.
The Development and Operations teams will continue to pour our hearts and souls into crafting new tales of adventure, that we may help guide you—Warriors of Light—toward horizons yet unseen.
Ere the next chapter in our tale begins, we hope you'll take this season to slow down, rest well, and enjoy a healthy and happy start of the year.
Again, I wish you a happy new year, and thank you for your continued support!

FINAL FANTASY XIV Producer & Director
Naoki Yoshida