The following Tier List contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the main story of Final Fantasy 14.
While Final Fantasy 14 has had its fair share of triumphs and tragedies following its disastrous 1.0 release in 2010, the game has long since rebounded and released a handful of expansions on a two-to-three-year basis. While expansions have changed Final Fantasy 14 in various ways, some have had more positive influences than the rest.
Each expansion for Final Fantasy 14 was ranked based on its individual main stories, side content quality, and features that significantly impacted the game for years to come. Although A Realm Reborn has superseded the now-defunct version 1.0 as the "base game" of Final Fantasy 14, it has been included as an expansion to 1.0 for the sake of the list. At the time of writing, Final Fantasy 14's current version was Patch 7.18, with Patch 7.2 scheduled to arrive in late March 2025. Ergo, any content released after Patch 7.2 was not considered.
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S-Tier: The Best of the Best in FF14
Shadowbringers: With teases dating as far back as Heavensward, Shadowbringers took players on a strange journey to a parallel "Shard" of Etheirys. As players explored the Light-plagued land of Norvrandt and uncovered secrets about the antagonistic Ascians, the Warrior of Light took up the paradoxical mantle of the Warrior of Darkness to stave off a potential Umbral Calamity that would wipe out life on both Etheirys and Norvrandt. In addition to its heart-wrenching main story, Shadowbringers also brought the Eden raids and the Sorrow of Werlyt trial series, which are both considered among the best in the game.
Shadowbringers also introduced the female Viera and the male Hrothgar as playable character options, with the former quickly rising as one of the more popular choices. The Gunbreaker and Dancer Jobs were also included, along with reworks of Jobs such as Machinist and Dark Knight. During the Shadowbringers patch cycle, Final Fantasy 14's Free Trial was greatly expanded to include A Realm Reborn and Heavensward. Coupled with a player-driven exodus from World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14 saw a massive player spike in 2020 and 2021. Despite some development challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Shadowbringers has asserted itself as one of the most memorable experiences in Final Fantasy 14, and the entire Final Fantasy franchise.
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A-Tier: Top-Notch Content All Players Should Experience
Endwalker: Picking up where Shadowbringers immediately left off, Endwalker was initially delayed by two weeks to allow for some added polish. However, Endwalker was worth the wait, as Patch 6.0 brought the decade-long saga of Hydaelyn and Zodiark to a decisive finale. Endwalker also added the male Viera as a playable race and introduced the Sage and the Reaper as new Jobs. Other Jobs like the Summoner and Monk received reworks at launch, while others like the Paladin, Ninja, and Machinist received adjustments after rounds of player feedback.
Although Patch 6.0 brought one long story to a close, the intermediary patches served as a love letter to Final Fantasy 4, as players took on the villainous Golbez and his Archfiends as Trial bosses. Endwalker also introduced the Crystalline Conflict PVP mode and the Variant/Criterion Dungeon system to tide players over. However, not all of Endwalker was a hit with players, as the exclusion of field operations similar to Eureka and Bozja was a point of player criticism. Additionally, Endwalker's launch was marred by long queue times that could take players as long as an hour to get into the game. All in all, Endwalker's main story and its heavy-hitting moments still give it a positive reputation.
Heavensward: Although A Realm Reborn had the unenviable task of picking up the pieces left by Final Fantasy 14's 1.0 launch, Heavensward saw the game jump to new heights. With a memorable main story known for its political intrigue and gut-wrenching character deaths, Heavensward set the tone for what players could expect in future expansions. Flying mounts were also introduced in the expansion, which allowed players to soar across some of Eorzea's growing landscape. Heavensward is the only expansion to launch with three new Jobs, as the Dark Knight, Astrologian, and Machinist entered the fray.
Heavensward also gave players the option to play as the lizard-like Au Ra. However, there weren't always clear skies during Heavensward. The expansion's first raid tier, Gordias, saw most raiders quit the game over its punishing difficulty and lack of rewards. Thankfully, the ensuing Midas and Creator tiers were comparatively more manageable, and the raid population gradually bounced back. With Heavensward turning 10 years old later in 2025, it remains to be seen if Final Fantasy 14 will do anything to mark the occasion.
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B-Tier: Solid Expansions Worth the Time if Players Have It
Dawntrail: Dawntrail heralded Final Fantasy 14's first major graphical update since A Realm Reborn, which saw character and environment textures scaled to higher qualities, along with new lighting technology. Dawntrail also added the long-awaited female Hrothgar as a playable race and introduced the Viper and the Pictomancer as DPS-focused Jobs. After introducing players to the rambunctious warrior Wuk Lamat, the Warrior of Light sets sail for the western continent of Tural, also called the New World, to witness a Rite of Succession.
The main story of Dawntrail was split into two distinct halves, with one focused on the aforementioned Rite, and the other on the sudden appearance of Alexandria, a technology-focused nation from another Shard. While both Wuk Lamat and Dawntrail's main story remain contentious points with players, the expansion's battle encounters from the Arcadion and the Echoes of Vana'diel raid series are held in high regard. Considering that Patch 7.2 and other updates are still in development, the jury is out on how Dawntrail will be remembered over time.
Stormblood: Between the war-torn kingdom of Ala Mhigo and the colorful environs of the Far Eastern lands of Othard, Stormblood was the first expansion to split the main story across two vastly different continents. However, this split approach was also apt for players' opinions of the story. Nonetheless, Stormblood's side content may be among the best the game has to offer. Between the arrival of the Eureka field operation, the Omega raid series, and a surprising crossover with Monster Hunter: World, the post-game content of Stormblood still draws players in.
Stormblood also introduced two classic Final Fantasy Jobs for DPS players to enjoy, with the Samurai and the Red Mage making their debuts. The game's first Limited Job, the Blue Mage, was made available in later patches. The first Ultimate raids, difficult and punishing versions of past boss fights, made their debut in Stormblood for players to test their mettle.
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C-Tier: A Decent Intro to a Better Experience
A Realm Reborn: While parts of the Patch 2.0 story were a modified re-telling of past events, subsequent content updates saw the Warrior of Light and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn quash looming threats from Primals and Ascians alike. In Patch 2.5 and 2.55, the Scions were torn apart following an ill-fated banquet, which saw the apparent demise of several characters. Their fates would not be fully explored until Heavensward, leaving players to speculate on a cliffhanger ending until their inevitable arrival in Ishgard.
However, the technical debt incurred by A Realm Reborn's development continues to creep up in F inal Fantasy 14, though pieces of the framework have been redone as time went on. Although A Realm Reborn by itself is not a bad experience by any means, subsequent expansions to Final Fantasy 14 have simply fared better in the long run. But, without A Realm Reborn being the start of Final Fantasy 14's turnaround, there would likely not be any further expansions at all.
- Released
- August 27, 2013
- ESRB
- T for Teen - Language, Mild Blood, Sexual Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Originally the Crystal Tools engine, but currently it's a custom engine using parts of the Luminous Engine.
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op, Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- Playable
- PC Release Date
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
