Final Fantasy 14 director Yoshi-P knows the MMO isn't in "perfect" shape after Dawntrail, but Patch 7.3 marks a new beginning for Square Enix

Final Fantasy 14 expansion Dawntrail recently saw its Steam reviews drop back to "Mostly Negative" after previously rising to "Mixed" briefly, but future updates might just patch the poor reception up.

Patch 7.25, which added Occult Crescent and other new features to Final Fantasy 14, wasn't received well by many players, despite Square Enix saying it took past feedback into account while designing it. Fans have expressed dissatisfaction with there being "too much repetitive grind with not much to do" since its release – but director Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida's recent words on Patch 7.3, which launches August 5, spark some hope for the future.

In a new interview with Famitsu (as translated by DeepL and Google), Yoshi-P sheds light on some of the features that are yet to come to Final Fantasy 14. Admitting that Square Enix is facing a variety of "major" challenges with the game right now, following fans' feedback, the lead says he's aware that the MMO isn't in a "perfect" state – but Patch 7.3 marks the start of more concrete changes on the developers' behalf to better players' experiences.

Yoshi-P explains that the situation can be likened to the original Final Fantasy 14 before A Realm Reborn came to fruition, as devs have to work to regain players' trust. The future does, however, look bright – during the interview, the director confirms that an Ultimate raid is, in fact, being produced, although it won't come in Patch 7.3. There's plenty of other content to get excited over, too, with new Final Fantasy 11-inspired characters and raids underway.

Patch 7.4 is set to introduce a new variant dungeon as well, so it's clear that Square Enix has a plan for post-7.3 updates. That's not all, either – the next Fan Festival is on many players' minds (mine included, admittedly), and it thankfully seems they won't have to wait long to learn when it is anymore. According to Yoshi-P, Square Enix is hoping to announce the dates "soon." When the fest does arrive, word of the next expansion should follow.

For now, fans sound uncertain about the promise of improvements to come. As comments on one online post discussing the interview highlight, nothing feels set in stone yet. "Okay, but what 'solid changes' is he making to address the not-perfect state of the game?" asks one such player. "Or is this just more lip service?" Others jokingly (or perhaps not) request that Dawntrail protagonist Wuk Lamat be killed off: "It will make the story have impacts and have risks."

As a longtime Final Fantasy 14 fan myself, I'm keeping my own fingers crossed that in Patch 7.3 and beyond, the situation begins to turn around. Steam reviews might not be the be-all and end-all, but the community is clearly unhappy.

Yoshi-P knows Final Fantasy 14 has a problem balancing casual and hardcore content, but he hopes the new Deep Dungeon will show the MMO's new philosophy on difficulty