Summary
Final Fantasy 14is adding a major quality-of-life change inDawntrail, but players should temper their expectations as to what this actually entails. Hotbar bloat is a frequent problem that many MMOs encounter in the course of their lifespan, andFinal Fantasy 14is no exception. There’s always an expectation of classes evolving through each subsequent expansion, and as they obtain new skills and abilities, it can be difficult to find that extra hotbar room, especially for Xbox and Playstation players.
WithEndwalkerconcluding a decade-long saga,Dawntrailis an opportunity for Square Enix to start a fresh chapter in the world of Etheirys. Many jobs are getting universal upgrades in the upcoming expansion, while agraphical overhaul forFinal Fantasy 14hammers home the point that the game is entering a new, modern era. However, apart from Pictomancer and Viper, one of the highlights of the latestFinal Fantasy 14livestream has been the reveal of a new Action Change feature for hotbars.
It was understood that this feature would allowFinal Fantasy 14players to combine or decouple certain combos, allowing them to dramatically reduce the number of skills found on their hotbar. However, as pointed out by ilunari on Twitter, Naoki Yoshida’s original statement in Japanese explained that this only applied to proc-based combos, rather than basic rotational combos (as seen in Player vs. Player content). This effectively means that while Disembowel and Chaos Thrust will remain as separate button presses,Dragoons inFinal Fantasy 14will now be able to choose if they want to keep High Jump and Mirage Dive detached or combined into a single action.
How the Action Change Hotbar Feature Works in Final Fantasy 14
Dawntrailwill allow players to choose whether they want certain job actions to be separate buttons, or combined into a sequence. This feature does not necessarily apply to basic rotational skills. On its own, the Action Change hotbar feature does not significantly reduce button bloat, but it should be noted that thejob overhaul forFinal Fantasy 14will also streamline certain rotations. An important aspect of the feature is that new jobs will be designed with Action Change in mind, as both Viper and Pictomancer have their basic skill combos integrated into the system.
AsDawntrailnears its release dateof June 11, 2025,Final Fantasy 14players will soon be able to read the full extent of job changes and gameplay features in the official patch notes. Patch 7.0 will mark the debut of the female Hrothgar, the continent of Tural, and the highly-anticipated graphical overhaul. A new limited job, the Beastmaster, is expected to launch sometime during the expansion’s patch cycle.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
