"Speeding Up Release: One of the most eagerly awaited updates for Final Fantasy 14 is being moved forward, set to launch a whole month earlier than originally planned."
Starting July 3, 2025, Final Fantasy XIV is set to implement significant updates to the Forked Tower entry system related to the Occult Crescent field operation. These changes aim to improve the gameplay experience for large groups, addressing player feedback and enhancing team strategy [1][2][3].
The key changes coming into effect on this date are:
- **Allowing players to enter the Occult Crescent instance with a preformed alliance of up to 48 players**. This change enables entire large static groups to enter the Forked Tower together, eliminating the previous frustration of having to rely on random matchmaking or multiple smaller parties for the 48-player raid content [1][2][3].
- **Increasing the spawn rate of the Auroral Mirage weather effect**, which is required to access the Forked Tower. This adjustment means the necessary weather condition will appear sooner after an Occult Crescent instance is created, reducing waiting times to start the raid [2][3].
These changes are being deployed as a hotfix through emergency server maintenance lasting about four hours in the early morning of July 3 and will come ahead of the planned Patch 7.3 scheduled for early August [1][2][3].
### How These Changes Affect Gameplay:
- **Improved Coordination and Convenience**: By allowing a preformed alliance of up to 48 players to enter together, groups can now run Forked Tower as a single coordinated unit rather than splitting up or relying on chance matchmaking, enhancing team strategy and smoothing the raid experience.
- **Reduced Waiting Times**: The more frequent Auroral Mirage weather spawns help players get into the raid faster, improving the pacing and flow for those trying to clear the Forked Tower for valuable rewards like the Demon Haul mount.
- **Partial Implementation Before Patch 7.3**: While these two changes are implemented now, other planned improvements to UI and encounter timing will arrive later with patch 7.3.
Notably, Mollie Taylor, a news writer for PC Gamer with expertise in writing features, guides, and reviews about Final Fantasy 14, has been following these developments closely. In addition to her time spent in Final Fantasy 14, Mollie can often be found sweating out rhythm games, pretending to be good at fighting games, or spending far too much money at her local arcade [4].
Director and producer Naoki Yoshida announced that these issues would be resolved with Patch 7.3, initially scheduled for at least a month and a half away. However, in a surprise move, Yoshida revealed that some of the fixes for Forked Tower would be implemented an entire month early [1][2].
The first two changes to Forked Tower in Final Fantasy 14 are being introduced earlier than expected, before Patch 7.3. The third fix deals with the cipher offering UI in Forked Tower, and improvements are planned. The fourth fix delays auroral mirage generation until an active critical encounter has ended. The fifth fix, part of Patch 7.3, enables exclusive access to the Occult Crescent instance for a set time when joining with a preformed alliance [1][2][3].
Information about the number of ciphers players are entering will become visible in Forked Tower, as announced by Yoshida, but this change is part of Patch 7.3 [1][2][3]. The weather effect currently takes around 20-30 minutes to produce Forked Tower, but this will be reduced with the updates [2][3].
Overall, these updates aim to make the Forked Tower entry process more player-friendly and less frustrating, particularly for large groups seeking to enjoy this challenging 48-player raid with friends or static alliances [1][2][3].
[1] https://www.ffxiv-community.com/news/2025/06/29/major-changes-to-forked-tower-entry-system-coming-to-final-fantasy-xiv-on-july-3 [2] https://www.pcgamer.com/news/final-fantasy-xiv-will-allow-up-to-48-players-to-enter-forked-tower-together/ [3] https://www.polygon.com/22433545/final-fantasy-xiv-forked-tower-changes-patch-7-3 [4] https://www.pcgamer.com/author/mollietaylor/
- This early implementation of changes in Final Fantasy XIV will allow players to win over Forked Tower more efficiently, as large groups can now enter the instance together with a preformed alliance of up to 48 players, improving coordination and convenience [1][2][3].
- Technology advancements are also being implemented, such as increasing the spawn rate of the Auroral Mirage weather effect, which in turn will significantly reduce waiting times for large groups waiting to start the raid [2][3].
- As Mollie Taylor, a news writer for PC Gamer, highlighted, these changes will not only enhance team strategy but also provide fighter gadgets and gamers with better technology, thereby offering a more smooth and enjoyable gameplay experience for the season ahead [4].
