The FF14 patch 7.5 special site promises more of its best new double act, and a returning ally

Square Enix has deployed the FF14 patch 7.5 special site, giving us a closer look at what's to come in the next update for the MMORPG. As our eyes turn towards the FF14 8.0 expansion, set to be revealed this month at the Anaheim Fanfest event, we can already glean some pretty big hints as to what might be happening. There's already good news with the return of everyone's newest favorite character, and some teasing text descriptions promise the return of one of our allies, bearing an ominous message.

There's really no way around spoilers here, so if you haven't finished Final Fantasy 14 patch 7.4's main story, you should do so before reading this. It's proved to be one of the most popular updates in recent memory, and introduced us to a character who's set to be pivotal for the foreseeable future. Halmarut, one of the elusive remaining members of the Convocation of Fourteen, appears to us as a skittish Au Ra with a foreboding prophecy of the "great withering" to come.

Halmarut is also paired with post-Dawntrail baddie Calyx, now traveling around in the body of a gray animal plush, and I'm very pleased to report that the pair are present and correct for patch 7.5. I can't get enough of their double-act dynamic. Based on the images, it looks likely that we'll run into Halmarut on the Moon, and with a hefty complement of Scions by our side. Y'shtola, Krile, Alisaie, and G'raha Tia are all present (I can already hear people twitching to hear how he sounds), but both Thancred and Urianger are also back from their presumed vacation.

The description on the special site bears more clues. "Returned from the levin-wracked lands of the Ninth, the Warrior of Light and their companions resume investigations into the key. Yet as they begin to unravel its mysteries, an ally's unsettling message threatens to draw their attention elsewhere." Who and what could that be? There are at least a couple of potential options here.

First is our return to Garlemald, teased during Live Letter 91. As if it hasn't been through enough, the snow-covered streets are on fire once more and we'll be heading to The Clyteum, a vast manufactory that serves as patch 7.5's dungeon. It "once helped sustain Garlemald's relentless territorial expansion," but has been long abandoned, only to now play host to "the frontline of a terrifying incursion."

The second component in play is The Unmaking, the patch 7.5 trial against secret FF5 Advance superboss Enuo. The caption reads, "Wielding the boundless power of the void, they rise from depths unfathomable, the dread sovereign Enuo." The immediate association most players will have will be to the Thirteenth, which we last left in the hands of Zero at the end of the post-Endwalker patch cycle.

Is it time for Zero's return? I'd argue that all the signs are pointing that way. The Moon previously served as our most recent connection point to the void, and that Zodiark-shaped hole is at the core of Halmarut's proclamation. Zero also has close ties to Garlemald and Jullus, so bringing that cast back in some configuration seems like the best guess for what lies ahead. Lending further weight to this is that Zero's voice actor, Cassie Layton, appeared briefly as Vamp Fatale in the Arcadion raids, so she's been in the studio recently.

The big question is whether this story arc will largely prove a grand diversion to fill our time until the feed-in story arc for 8.0 is delivered later this year, or if it'll end up being integral to us finally figuring out to do with the ancient macguffin we've been ferrying around for the best part of two years. I'd be shocked if it didn't play some role, given that the post-Endwalker story resulted in our most successful attempt at transferring energy between reflections. FF14 also has an impressive track record of picking up its hanging threads over the years.

The special site teases the upcoming Beastmaster job, which we aren't currently expecting to arrive until a later patch in the 7.5 cycle. Sadly, there aren't many more details to be gleaned here for now, although there's a good chance we get some additional information during one of the panels at Fanfest Anaheim. There's also another brief glimpse of FF11's most chaotic figure, Shantotto, who appears in the climactic chapter of the Echoes of Vana'diel crossover alliance raid.

The new special site also boasts a long list of the other features that we're expecting in the patch 7.5 cycle that will be gradually added to the special site in the coming weeks, or further down the line in the case of additions in patches 7.51 through 7.56. You can read through a full rundown of everything we're expecting in my Live Letter 91 summary.

These include the second Occult Crescent region, North Horn, the Dawntrail Hildibrand finale, the next Ultimate raid, and fresh additions to the Gold Saucer. Then we've got the new custom delivery client, taco seller Aunt Tii, the final part of the Phantom Weapons quest, more ocean fishing, and the capstone for Dawntrail's allied societies. FF14 Live Letter 72 takes place on Friday April 17 and will give us a much more in-depth look at the full complement of patch 7.5, so be sure to stay tuned here for a rundown of everything shown.

FF14 patch 7.5, 'Trail to the Heavens,' launches Tuesday April 28. It immediately follows Fanfest Anaheim, so by then, we'll already have our answer to the name and rough vibe of the next Final Fantasy 14 expansion. Hopefully that timing frees the team up to give us something a bit more substantial in the update than the infamous 'female Hrothgar legs' of patch 6.5. Regardless, I'm excited to find out what lies ahead.