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Subscribe from just £3 Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love Try a single issue or save on a subscription Issues delivered straight to your door or device From£9.99View Prime Day Deals Donkey Kong Bananza Switch 2 stock Recommended reading Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P admits recent raid was "a misstep in development" that "wasn't meant to be hardcore," says Square is "trying to satisfy both" casual and hardcore MMO players Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P apologizes for the buggy state of the MMO and vows to make a Dawntrail raid that's only been cleared 400 times in 23 days more accessible Final Fantasy A Final Fantasy 14 raid so convoluted it's only been cleared 400 times in over 3 weeks is getting some much-needed changes early, with Square Enix deciding it outweighs "minor risks" of adding to the MMO's technical issues Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 devs once thought Field Operations would only "resonate" with select fans of the MMO, but now "it feels like even more players than we expected are looking forward to the next piece" Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 players can't help themselves: MMO diehards dogpiled the "casual" Cosmic Exploration content so hard it's caused community debate on FOMO and time-gating Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 14 devs know some fans found Field Operations "boring," but it's helped make Occult Crescent better: "We hope those kinds of players will be sure to try it out" Final Fantasy Square Enix knows Final Fantasy 14 is losing players after Dawntrail and many still logging on are losing patience, president acknowledges concerns Yoshi-P is stretched thin carrying the whole Final Fantasy franchise Final Fantasy Final Fantasy XIV Final Fantasy 14's upcoming roguelike-style dungeon "will appeal to a more casual playstyle," but is still getting an additional "extra hard boss" so the MMO's more hardcore players don't find it "lacking" Iain Harris 10 July 2025 Pilgrim's Traverse's many floors have something for everyone When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Square Enix) Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida says more hardcore fans of the MMO might find patch 7.3's Deep Dungeon "lacking," so the team is adding an "extra hard boss" you can fight after reaching floor 99. Speaking to RPGSite, Yoshida delves into the challenges of catering to everyone in the MMO's varied fanbase. Introducing a high-end raid is wonderful if you're a hardcore player with a dedicated group to perfect each encounter with, though it's likely to appeal less to those who just want to hang out between story drops. With Pilgrim's Traverse – a roguelike-inspired, ever-changing multi-floor dungeon – Yoshida is trying to strike a balance by providing something for everyone. "We think this will appeal to a more casual playstyle, but we're also anticipating that more hardcore players who might find it less challenging will feel it's lacking," he says. "This is why we're adding an additional extra hard boss you can fight after reaching floor 99." You may like Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P admits recent raid was "a misstep in development" that "wasn't meant to be hardcore," says Square is "trying to satisfy both" casual and hardcore MMO players Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P apologizes for the buggy state of the MMO and vows to make a Dawntrail raid that's only been cleared 400 times in 23 days more accessible A Final Fantasy 14 raid so convoluted it's only been cleared 400 times in over 3 weeks is getting some much-needed changes early, with Square Enix deciding it outweighs "minor risks" of adding to the MMO's technical issues Yoshida's comments touch on a wider challenge Final Fantasy 14 has been facing since the launch of Dawntrail. While the content roadmap offers something for most, some fans have had to wait longer than they'd like due to the increased time between patches. For example, midcore fans looking forward to the Occult Crescent field operation or the Cosmic Exploration 'lifestyle content' had to wait until patch 7.2, which launched roughly a year after Dawntrail's main expansion. And then there's executing the plan itself. Alongside the challenge of developing everything outlined in the roadmap, Final Fantasy 14 developers have had to keep the MMO itself running smoothly. It hasn't always been easy, with Yoshida taking the time to apologize in a recent stream before outlining what the team was doing to remedy frustrations with Cosmic Exploration and Occult Crescent. "We are trying to work within a specific timescale, and trying to satisfy both types of players [note: casual players that rarely engage with raid content, and more hardcore players that do]," he says. "At the same time, even if we were to double our number of developers, I don't think we'd necessarily be able to double our output while trying to maintain the same level of quality." Final Fantasy 14's 7.3 patch – called The Promise of Tomorrow – is due to release in early August. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P admits recent raid was "a misstep in development" that "wasn't meant to be hardcore," says Square is "trying to satisfy both" casual and hardcore MMO players. See more PC Gaming News Xbox Series X PlayStation Iain Harris Social Links Navigation News Editor, Games I joined GamesRadar+ in May 2022 following stints at PCGamesN and PocketGamer.Biz, with some freelance for Kotaku UK, RockPaperShotgun, and VG24/7 thrown in for good measure. When I'm not running the news team on the games side, you'll find me putting News Editor duties to one side to play the hottest JRPG of 20 years ago or pillaging the depths of Final Fantasy 14 for a swanky new cloak – the more colourful, the better. You must confirm your public display name before commenting Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name. Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P admits recent raid was "a misstep in development" that "wasn't meant to be hardcore," says Square is "trying to satisfy both" casual and hardcore MMO players Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P apologizes for the buggy state of the MMO and vows to make a Dawntrail raid that's only been cleared 400 times in 23 days more accessible A Final Fantasy 14 raid so convoluted it's only been cleared 400 times in over 3 weeks is getting some much-needed changes early, with Square Enix deciding it outweighs "minor risks" of adding to the MMO's technical issues Final Fantasy 14 devs once thought Field Operations would only "resonate" with select fans of the MMO, but now "it feels like even more players than we expected are looking forward to the next piece" Final Fantasy 14 players can't help themselves: MMO diehards dogpiled the "casual" Cosmic Exploration content so hard it's caused community debate on FOMO and time-gating Final Fantasy 14 devs know some fans found Field Operations "boring," but it's helped make Occult Crescent better: "We hope those kinds of players will be sure to try it out" Latest in Final Fantasy Final Fantasy 9 director goes full ape, says the JRPG's iconic Trance mechanic channels a Space Odyssey scene where apes use tools not as a new skill, "but rather a depiction of an ability they had always possessed being awakened" Final Fantasy 14 devs "struggling to find a balance between referencing past Final Fantasy games and introducing new content," but a new Gundam anime may be just the inspiration Yoshi-P needs Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P admits recent raid was "a misstep in development" that "wasn't meant to be hardcore," says Square is "trying to satisfy both" casual and hardcore MMO players 25 years later, Final Fantasy 9's stylized visuals have ensured it's aged brilliantly without a remake Final Fantasy 9 celebrates 25th anniversary with a short video, not news of the long-awaited JRPG remake fans wanted: "Do the remake already or leave me alone, Square Enix" Final Fantasy 9 fans have long thought Vivi's name came from his tragic background, but a new prequel book has a much sillier explanation Latest in News As if Switch games weren't already expensive, Nintendo is now getting rid of one of the only ways to get discounted first-party games after already killing off its reward points scheme Solo Leveling is joining One Piece by getting a live-action adaptation on Netflix, and Jin-woo has already been cast The Big Bang Theory is entering the multiverse with a wild, sci-fi spin-off involving an X-Men screenwriter After making almost $2bn in China, the highest-grossing animated film of all time is getting a US release in August Bloodborne looks almost unrecognizable in these "never-before-seen design planning maps and alpha layouts," showing FromSoftware's evolution of an iconic hidden shortcut An Arkane Studios AAA game entered production at the end of 2024, meaning Marvel's Blade might not be as far along as we all hoped GAME REVIEWS MOVIE REVIEWS Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy" Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse" Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic" Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat" FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special" Superman review: "A triumphant reinvention and a promising start for the DCU" Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber" M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion" 28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy” Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation" Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever" Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era" Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date" Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling" Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision GamesRadar+ is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. 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