Highlights

• Dawntrail brings major job changes, graphical updates, and new content to Final Fantasy 14 for a fresh chapter in Etheirys.
• Job actions in Dawntrail focus on strengthening roles, with tanks getting defensive buffs and DPS receiving skill upgrades.
• Individual job changes include new combos, streamlined abilities, and new skills for certain jobs like Monk and Black Mage.

Final Fantasy 14 has revealed the major job changes that will be coming in Dawntrail, as well as highlighted the new visuals and content. Endwalker was an exceedingly successful expansion for Final Fantasy 14, as it doubled the game's subscriber count, and masterfully closed a story arc a decade in the making. However, Dawntrail is very much meant to be a new chapter for the Warriors of Light and the world of Etheirys, and as such, it comes with a graphical update and extensive overhaul of most Final Fantasy 14 jobs.

The latest Live Letter for Final Fantasy 14 focused on showcasing the job changes across all three roles. A key change coming in Dawntrail is that players will be allowed to consolidate certain skill combos into a single button or separate them into several. While this does not apply to all job actions, it's a notable quality-of-life upgrade for many Final Fantasy 14 jobs. The philosophy for job changes going into Dawntrail focuses on reinforcing the strength of roles as a whole. Tanks will receive a major buff for defensive cooldowns such as Reprisal and Rampart, whereas physical damage dealers will get a stronger version of Second Wind on their way towards the new level cap.

Dawntrail Showcases Final Fantasy 14 Jobs in New Trailer

From an individual job standpoint, combos have been expanded in logical ways without adding to action bar bloat. For example, Warriors will receive a new combo finisher after executing three instances of Fell Cleave or Decimate while under the effect of Inner Rage. Elsewhere, certain combos have been streamlined, as Dragoons in Final Fantasy 14 will no longer have positionals in their single target rotation. Wheeling Thrust and Fang and Claw have been combined into a single new ability called Drakesbane. The new changes have been explained in the recent Final Fantasy 14 livestream, but Square Enix has also released a trailer that offers a visual overview of how combat will look for each job in Dawntrail.

Monk in Final Fantasy 14 has also received a significant overhaul, as its identity of maintaining buffs and debuffs will instead transition to rewarding combo progression with higher skill potency. The identity of the buff and debuff job has instead been transferred to the Viper, which will also have ranged damage options in its rotation. On the ranged side, Bards will no longer need to target an enemy to apply their three songs, and they will instead simply function as buffs.

Casters and healers will receive a shorter cooldown on Swiftcast on their way to the level cap. Black Mage in Final Fantasy 14 will finally be able to reposition Ley Lines with a new skill, solving one of the major grievances that Final Fantasy 14 players had with the job. On the other hand, Summoners will not receive a major overhaul, but will instead have a new Solar Bahamut summon. Players will be able to read the full list of changes at a later date.