How to play Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail early access

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is the fifth major expansion in the JRPG’s illustrious 11-year history, and thanks to early access, you don’t have to wait until its official launch to hop in.

First launching in 2013, Final Fantasy XIV has enjoyed a ton of longevity, with many players continuing to enjoy the MMORPG every month. Even in a world of free-to-play RPGs, the subscription-based nature of FFXIV continues to trump most. Continuing on from 2021’s Endwalker, the FFXIV Dawntrail release offers a new story, jobs, and much more—and you can sample it for yourself in early access.

How to get early access to Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail

You can play Final Fantasy XIV’s early access by pre-ordering any edition of FFXIV Dawntrail before the official launch on Tuesday, July 2.

This includes the standard edition, so you don’t need to splurge on the Digital Deluxe upgrade or Collector’s Edition to get in early. Once the pre-order purchase is registered to your FFXIV account, you’re all set to head into early access. You also get the Wind-up Zidane Minion and Azeyma’s Earring—which gives a 30 percent EXP buff to every combat job at level 90 and below; delivered to all your characters right away.

The registration process differs depending on your platform. Console players only have to make sure they’re pre-ordering the expansion on the right account, and are automatically registered for both early access and the official launch upon purchase.

PC players (Steam users included) will get a pre-order bonus code from their purchase, which can be entered into their Mogstation account under the “Registration Codes” section of their dashboard. After the official Dawntrail launch, they’ll also receive a separate registration code for the full expansion that needs to be entered into Mogstation by July 5, 11:59pm in your local timezone to continue playing.

While you need to have completed all Endwalker MSQ content up to the end of Patch 6.55 to access the Dawntrail story, other features like Viper and Pictomancer, Female Hrothgar, and the free Fantasia quest are available right away regardless of your MSQ progress. The graphics update is also in full effect, so don’t forget to make sure your computer meets the system requirements for PC before heading into early access.