Highlights

  • Square Enix is gearing up for a new era in Final Fantasy 14 with the upcoming Dawntrail expansion, marking the end of an overarching storyline.
  • The appearance of a real-life Aetheryte sculpture in London outside a major train station is part of Square Enix's promotional strategy.
  • The popularity of the Aetheryte stunt shows anticipation among players for Dawntrail, despite the brief presence of the structure at King's Cross station.

Just ahead of the launch of the Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail expansion, Square Enix has brought a touch of Eorzea to the real world, in the form of a huge Aetheryte. The structure, one of the most familiar sights to veteran Final Fantasy 14 players, appeared in the City of London, outside a major train station.

A new era is ahead for Square Enix's premiere MMORPG, 10 years after Final Fantasy 14 relaunched as A Realm Reborn. 2021's Endwalker expansion and its aftermath brought an end to the Saga of Hydaelyn and Zodiark, the overarching storyline that powered most of the game's narrative turns. Come July 2, 2024, the Dawntrail expansion will mark the beginning of something new, and Square Enix is hoping that players new and returning will choose to jump into the game at this point, both to see the completed main story and to get a taste of what's to come.

final-fantasy-14-dawntrail-female-hrothgar-group
Related
Final Fantasy 14 Reveals Twitch Rewards For Dawntrail Launch

Final Fantasy 14 and Twitch reveal an upcoming viewer reward campaign that will grant players a highly-requested prize for tuning in.

Part of Square Enix's promotional strategy includes a few highly visible stunts, one of which is the appearance of a real-life Aetheryte sculpture in London, just outside of King's Cross station. This was to promote the Final Fantasy 14 London Fan Gathering, which took place on June 24, one of the last major in-person events for FF14 fans before they get a chance to play Dawntrail on live servers. The early access period for the Final Fantasy 14 expansion opens on June 28 for players who pre-ordered it.

Real-Life Final Fantasy 14 Aetheryte Pops Up In London for Fan Meet

Square Enix's choice to place its real-life Aetheryte at a major point of transit in a huge, central city perfectly fits the role of the huge crystalline structure in Final Fantasy 14. In the game, Aetherytes serve as massive fast travel points that allow players to teleport far more quickly than any Final Fantasy 14 mount. Virtually every major location and quest hub contains an Aetheryte for players to attune to. Once attuned, a simple payment of Gil allows instantaneous teleportation.

Sadly for some fans, the Aetheryte didn't grace King's Cross station with its presence for long. While many fans got photos of the sculpture, including an amusing group shot showing dozens of people attempting to attune to it at once, others expressed regret that they couldn't make it to King's Cross station before Square Enix removed the structure.

Though momentary, the popularity of Square Enix's Aetheryte stunt shows that many Final Fantasy 14 players are eagerly awaiting a chance to dive into Dawntrail soon. With luck, Square Enix's plans to mitigate congestion during the Dawntrail launch rush will help the game's servers withstand that surge of interest.