Final Fantasy 14 Announces Female Hrothgar as New Playable Race in Upcoming Dawntrail Expansion

In an electrifying presentation at the 2024 Tokyo Fan Fest, Naoki Yoshida, the esteemed producer and director of Final Fantasy 14, made a game-changing revelation. Yoshida delighted fans with the news that female Hrothgar characters would be joining the MMORPG as the last race to be introduced. Although players must wait until the Dawntrail expansion's debut to play as them, a precursor to their arrival will be seen in Patch 6.55.

Kicking off the event, a comprehensive trailer for the Dawntrail expansion captivated the audience. A new Caster DPS Job, the Pictomancer, was unveiled, showcased by the lalafell Krile Baldesion, who brandished painterly magic with a brush and palette. While Yoshida did not provide a specific launch date for Dawntrail, he affirmed the planned release window of summer 2024 and mentioned they are working towards an internal launch target. He teased that more details about the game's exploration of the New World of Tural and the new Jobs would come later, marking a period of eager anticipation for fans.

The trailer's finale brought the future addition of the female Hrothgar into sharp focus. This revelation followed a tease at the conclusion of Patch 6.5, Growing Light, setting the stage for the involvement of this new race’s storyline. The female Hrothgar, introduced as the heir to the throne of Tural, will make her entrance in Patch 6.55, scheduled for release on Tuesday, January 16. Players will encounter her as she seeks their help in a ritual destined to determine Tural's new leader.

Yoshida, along with the localization lead Kate Cwynar, showcased an in-game glimpse of the female Hrothgar. The video highlighted the graphical enhancements of Dawntrail and gave fans a first look at the female Hrothgar’s design, which, like their male counterparts, hails from the Ilsabard continent with an influential presence in Bozja and beyond. Recognizable by their sleek and muscular build, the female Hrothgars distinguish themselves from the males with more upright stances, although their height spectrum remains a mystery. Addressing the ongoing design challenges with fitting headgear for both the Hrothgar and Viera races, Yoshida assured fans that improvements are underway for the Dawntrail release and beyond.

Yoshida concluded by definitively stating that the female Hrothgar would be the ultimate race addition to the game. Yet, he encouraged the community to keep contributing ideas, suggesting a collaborative future for the game's evolution.

The reaction from the Final Fantasy 14 community was overwhelmingly positive, with many players expressing that the female Hrothgar lived up to their imaginations. This noteworthy reveal has propelled Square Enix into an auspicious start for 2024, following a prosperous prior year for Final Fantasy 14.