The recently released expansion for Final Fantasy XIV, Dawntrail, has only been out for three days, but players have already begun voicing their dissatisfaction with one of the expansion’s new jobs. The Viper, a dual sword-wielding class introduced in Dawntrail, has faced criticism for its busy skill rotation, leading to Square Enix announcing upcoming changes in response to player feedback. Director Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida detailed the issues and outlined the adjustments planned for multiple classes in the game’s next patches.
In response to player concerns, patch 7.05 will focus on reducing the “busyness” of the Viper job by decreasing the directional requirements and tweaking the effects of certain actions. Additionally, patch 7.01 will address issues with the Subtractive Palette, Aetherhues, and Aetherhues II for the artistic mage Pictomancer, resolving a bug that allowed players to disable these effects manually. The Monk class will also receive fixes to address inadequate performance caused by incorrect potencies for certain actions and stacking issues with the Fury status.
The Astrologian job will see adjustments to improve usability during damage burst phases, with changes to the recast time of Light Speed and draw actions. The Samurai and Red Mage classes will have their recast timers and effect times adjusted, respectively, to enhance gameplay. Black Mages struggling with MP recovery will benefit from adjustments to attack potencies in the upcoming patches.
Tanks, including Dark Knights and Gunbreakers, will receive increased enmity effects on movement abilities to address difficulties in maintaining enemy aggro. Additional enmity will be added to area-of-effect attacks to improve tanking capabilities overall. These changes will be implemented gradually over the next few patches to enhance the gameplay experience for tank players.
Despite the job-related complaints, the rollout of Dawntrail has been relatively smooth compared to previous expansions, thanks to new servers and congestion-easing measures implemented before the launch. Director Yoshida has reassured players that several other issues affecting the overall experience will also be addressed promptly to ensure a positive gaming experience for all players.
While the release of Dawntrail has brought new content and challenges to Final Fantasy XIV, player feedback has been instrumental in shaping the future direction of the game. Square Enix’s responsiveness to player concerns demonstrates a commitment to delivering a high-quality gaming experience, and the planned adjustments for classes and jobs show a willingness to listen to the community and make necessary changes for the betterment of the game.