Final Fantasy XIV 6.0 patch notes are here to remind us the end times are near

Ahead of its lingering December 7 launch (December 3 for those who pre-ordered), Square Enix has blown the lid off Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker's exhaustive patch notes. There's plenty of spoiler-avoidant red tape attached along the way — as well there should be — but speaking in terms of the broader strokes, Naoki Yoshida and his hard-working team have left no major gameplay questions unanswered here.

You're certainly welcome to grab a cup of Tataru's tea and read the whole thing, but for those of you who would prefer to spend the rest of their waking day doing literally anything else, we've compiled a list of the most pertinent details.

New Cities

As has become customary with FFXIV expansions, Endwalker will introduce two sprawling new cities to the game's ever-expanding world. Players can safely expect to discover plenty of smaller settlements during their travels, but these are the big hubs we'll soon be able to visit.

Old Sharlayan

Radz-at-Han

New Field Areas

Unlike cities, Square is keeping some zones under wraps until launch. Endwalker is confirmed to feature six new zones — again, customary for the game's expansions — and, at present, we know of four.

Labyrinthos

Thavnair

Garlemald

Mare Lamentorum

New main story quests have (of course) been added, as well as a plethora of new side story quests (again, of course).

More impressively, role quests are back!

Tank (Paladin / Warrior / Dark Knight / Gunbreaker)

???

Radz-at-Han (X:7.6 Y:9.7)

Gridanian Delegate

Players must progress to a certain point in the Endwalker main scenario.

Melee DPS (Monk / Dragoon / Ninja / Samurai / Reaper)

Storm Clouds Brewing

???

Radz-at-Han (X:7.7 Y:9.6)

Limsa Lominsan Delegate

Players must progress to a certain point in the Endwalker main scenario.

Physical Ranged DPS (Bard / Machinist / Dancer)

???

Radz-at-Han (X:7.6 Y:9.4)

Doman Delegate

Players must progress to a certain point in the Endwalker main scenario.

Magical Ranged DPS (Black Mage / Summoner / Red Mage)

Our Aching Souls

???

Radz-at-Han (X:7.8 Y:9.4)

Ishgardian Delegate

Players must progress to a certain point in the Endwalker main scenario.

Healer (White Mage / Scholar / Astrologian / Sage)

Far from Free

???

Radz-at-Han (X:7.5 Y:9.6)

Ala Mhigan Delegate

Players must progress to a certain point in the Endwalker main scenario.

Plenty of Studium Deliveries are en route, so get used to seeing a lot of Old Sharlayan. Gil and experience totals for a slew of quests will be adjusted, which all ties into the overarching changes to stat calculations. (In case you weren't aware, expect to see a dramatic decrease in your stat totals. But they're all relative to what you had before. Numbers were getting out of hand, so they're being lowered across the board to avoid some serious programming faux pas going forward.)

A new housing district, Ishgard's Empyreum, is en route for Patch 6.1. You can't buy a plot just yet in 6.0, but you'll be able to scope out the first ward to see what's on the horizon.

The level cap is increasing to 90. Male Viera will be made available, with female Hrothgar coming in 6.1.

This is one of the less important patch notes to cover here, but I can't help bringing it up; a new face option is coming for male Midland Hyur, and... it's the vintage "Warrior of Light" look, or as some of us like to call him, "Derplander."

Oh, Yoshida.

Estinien will be added to Trusts, but only for Endwalker's dungeons, not Shadowbringers'. Which makes lore sense, but I'm still hoping we'll eventually see the Trusts system applied to earlier material in some fashion.

The Reaper and Sage jobs debut with 6.0. Quite stylishly, at that. This comes alongside a wealth of new Job Actions.

New Trials, Dungeons, enemies, bosses, mark hunts, and other obvious matters are also mentioned.

Pretty much everything else in the patch notes is also standard fare, but we're no less excited for it. Endwalker emerges from the shadowy minds of Square Enix Business Unit III on December 3 (Early Access) and December 7 for PS4, PS5, and PC.