Final Fantasy XIV’sDawntrailexpansion is set to launch at the beginning of June alongside agraphical overhaulthat will completely redo the game’s lighting and models across every zone, and a Benchmark test is now available so PC players can put their rigs to the test.
The Dawntrail Benchmark is the first public taste of the7.0 graphics updateand while its main purpose is to see if your PC can handle the expansion’s new system requirements, most people are downloading it tosee what their Warriors of Light look likewith the new lighting and graphics. It turns out, that better graphics don’t always equal better designs.
FFXIV GRAPHICS UPDATE, WHAT DID THEY DO TO THE VIERA OMG NOOOO!!! 😭https://t.co/FJtx7J8YFM
Once the Dawntrail Benchmark went live, several FFXIV players took to the forums and social media to voice their displeasure with the new graphics because their custom characters look completely different now.Vieracharacters, Final Fantasy XIV’s bunny race, seem to have been hit the hardest by Dawntrail’s graphical overhaul.
It’s not just the differentlightingandtexturesthat players are upset about. Dawntrail’s new graphics have completely changed the appearance of facial features and markings that players have come to know and love.Lips,noses, andeyesare drastically changed compared to their vanilla versions, and with every bit of a character’s face looking slightly different, the result is an unrecognizable Warrior of Light.
if anyone is unhappy with anything with the graphics updates/benchmark in general, please please go to the ffxiv forums and give feedback! the benchmark is a WIP for a reason, and they WILL still make adjustments leading up to 7.0pic.twitter.com/u7kOlJJGhs
Thankfully, there’s still some hope for players who booted up the Dawntrail Benchmark and were met with unrecognizable characters. The FFXIV team isstill making changesthrough the release of 7.0 and feedback will be taken into consideration for the full release of Dawntrail. Make sure to leave comments on the FFXIV forums if you’re unhappy with the new visual changes. In the meantime, make sure to wrap up any unfinished business you have in Endwalker like theFFXVI collab.
Diego Perez
Currently serving as a Senior Staff Writer at PC Invasion, Diego Perez has been writing about video games since 2018, specializing in live service games like Destiny and Final Fantasy XIV. His work is featured at publications like Game Rant and Attack of the Fanboy (where he served as Associate Editor), but PC Invasion is home to his best work. When he’s planning content or writing guides, he’s yelling about Ape Escape or grinding Lost Sectors in Destiny. Plus, he has a Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication Media Studies for Texas A&M University.
