Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P says it's "time to go back to school" as the MMO builds to its next expansion and turns away from the "summer vacation" that was its mixed Dawntrail expansion

Preparing for the launch of Final Fantasy 14's 7.4 patch, Into the Mist, director Naoki Yoshida, better known as Yoshi-P, has described the upcoming story as a "bridge" between beats, giving the vibe of the end of the summer vacation, before 7.5 sees us back in school.

We all know that overwhelming sense of impending doom that comes with the end of a long break and the return to work. Many would consider this a negative emotion, but Yoshi-P thinks that Final Fantasy 14 players will enjoy the feeling of anticipation.

Final Fantasy 14's upcoming 7.4 patch launches on December 16, and recently, Yoshi-P has been discussing the upcoming changes with the media. In an interview with Famitsu, which has been translated by GamesRadar+, the long-time director of the MMORPG likened the next patch update to the end of the summer break.

"Because the next entry in the story won't properly begin until patch 7.5," Yoshi-P explains, "The upcoming patch 7.4 plays the role of a bridge connecting the story together. Dawntrail's theme is kind of like 'Warrior of Light's summer vacation', and now that summer is coming to an end [7.4 has] the vibe of you getting started on the last of your homework like 'it's time to go back to school!'"

The way he says this last sentence is with a feeling of excitement, which doesn't translate that well to Western audiences. Japanese school lunch is really just that good.

The word choice is also notable, as Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail expansion was billed as a sort of 'break' from the world-ending stakes of the past 10 or so years that culminated with Endwalker.

Unfortunately, it's not a vibe that stuck the landing with most, as seeing their Warrior of Light relegated to a supporting role was one of many issues people had with the expansion. You can read our Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail review for more on that.

Since then, the MMO's post-expansion content drops have also landed to mixed fortunes, though it seems like lessons are being learnt. Here's hoping for a good expansion ahead.

Everyone's "free time is dwindling," so Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P wants players to feel rewarded no matter how much time they invest in the MMO