Maintenance has begun for Final Fantasy XIV 6.18, an interstitial patch that will debut the Data Center Travel function, refresh raid token acquisition, the launch of PvP Season 2 including adjustments for PvP actions and properties for various roles.

Below, we’ve collected information about what to expect when maintenance concludes.

Recently, Patch 6.2 Buried Memory, was announced for Late August, which will continue the main scenario quest, add a new raid tier to Pandæmonium, island exploration, variant dungeons, and more. We’ve got the summary of the new information here.

Data Center Travel & Data Center Expansion

After being delayed for various logistical issues including an explosion of player growth, Data Center Travel has been implemented in Patch 6.18.

To quickly explain how the population of Final Fantasy XIV is divided, there are three ascending tiers:

1. Regions are at the top, and are separated in the real world by their physical distance; they include: North America, Japan, Europe, and Oceania. Each region hosts several data centers.
2. Data Centers are below regions, and each data center hosts several Worlds. Aether, Crystal, and Primal data centers compose the North America region. After 6.18, you will be able to travel to another World belonging to another data center from the character selection screen.
3. Worlds are at the bottom. Currently, if you wish to travel to another world on the same data center, you will use the main aetheryte in Gridania, Ul’dah, and Limsa Lominsa.

To travel between data centers, from the character selection screen, select “Visit Another Data Center” from the submenu belonging to the given character. Next, select the data center and world you wish to travel to. Then, a confirmation screen will appear — select “Proceed” to return to the title screen and the data center travel process will begin. Note that you can’t cancel this process once it begins or is in progress. Also, if you have traveled to another data center, and wish to travel to another data center different than your “home” data center, you must return to your home data center first, then begin the process again.

In another world belonging to another data center, your tag will read as <Traveler> as opposed to <Wanderer> when you move to different worlds on the same data center.

There’s quite a few restrictions while using this system, either due to current limitations, or to preserve game balance and world-specific leaderboards including:

• Disciples of the land cannot interact with unspoiled gathering nodes.
• Retainers cannot be summoned, hired, or released from service. Retainers cannot put items up on the market board for sale, but you can still purchase items from market boards in another data center. The quest ‘An Ill-conceived Venture’ can only be accepted in your home world.
• Free companies cannot be formed or joined. Free company information cannot be viewed. Company credits cannot be earned, and free company chat cannot be used to send or receive messages.
• Linkshell information will be inaccessible, and they cannot be be created or joined, and you won’t be able to use them to send or receive messages.
• Cross-world Linkshells can’t be formed, but it’s still possible to join them, albeit with a limit of 8 cross-world linkshells per data center. Travelers cannot be promoted to master of cross-world linkshells in the destination data center, and cross-world linkshells belonging to different data centers can’t be used to send or receive messages.
• Fellowships can’t be joined in a different data center, and you won’t be able to view information outside of your home world.
• For housing, estates and apartments can’t be purchased and residence sharing is unavailable. The quest ‘Bird in Hand’ can only be done in your home world.
• Attending ceremonies of the Eternal Bond will not be possible, as well as the quests involving it. Invitations to ceremonies can’t be offered to players belonging to other data centers.
• In the Gold Saucer, you won’t be able to interact with Lord of Verminion tournaments, Triple Triad tournaments, or Jumbo Cactpot tickets can’t be purchased or redeemed.
• Your Deep Dungeon results won’t be saved to the leaderboards.
• Crystalline Conflict ranked matches can’t be joined, PvP teams can’t be formed or joined, and team information can’t be viewed. Teams can’t be used to send or receive messages as well.
• You won’t be able to use the Moogle Delivery service.
• Eternity Rings can only be used when both players are in the same world. Aetheryte Pendulums will only work if you’re in the same world. You can only teleport to a friend’s estate if you are on the same world.
• Bonus to experience points for New or Preferred worlds will not apply if they are not active on your home world. They will apply if your home world is New or Preferred.

Four new worlds are coming to each European data center: “Sagittarius” and “Phantom” will be added to Chaos; “Alpha” and “Raiden” will be added to Light.

Additionally, worlds are being redistributed on the Japanese data center following a new, fourth data center going live. This will evenly spread 32 worlds across 4 data centers, resulting in 8 worlds per data center.

Battle System — Raid Token Refresh

As time goes on, restrictions that limit the amount of raid tokens obtainable per week ease, allowing players to more rapidly increase their item level, this goes for the normal raid series introduced in Patch 6.01: Asphodelos, and several restrictions have been removed from the Savage-difficulty version.

The next chapter of Pandæmonium, Abyssos, is scheduled for Patch 6.2, with the Savage difficulty version launching one week after as a test run to accommodate players who want to experience the patch contents before diving into the breakneck pace to claim World First.

Pandæmonium — Asphodelos

• There is no more weekly limit on obtaining Unsung Blades of Asphodelos from The Fourth Circle.
• Two treasure coffers will now appear in Pandæmonium Asphodelos (Savage).
• The weekly entrance restriction to all areas of Pandæmonium Asphodelos (Savage) has been removed.
• Players may now proceed directly to any circle of Pandæmonium Asphodelos (Savage).

Myths of the Realm — Aglaia

• Aglaia Coins obtained from clearing Myths of the Realm: Aglaia can now be exchanged for Radiant Roborant by Nesvaaz in Radz-at-Han (X:10.6; Y10.0).

Augmented Radiant Gear (Item Level 600)

• To obtain the Augmented gear, collect the items required from J’lakshai, Wilmetta, or Nesvaaz, and speak with Khaldeen in Radz-at-Han (X:10.9 Y:10.4).

PVP — Season 2, Frontline & Action Adjustments

Season 1 has officially ended, and Season 2 begins with Patch 6.18. Note that “Seasons” refer to Ranked Matches rather than a PvP “Series” which has you levelling out a punch card for Series rewards. Ranked Matches have their own rewards at various tiers, depending on how high you’ve climbed, including special framer’s kits that adorn your Portrait in a fashion denoting your final rank and the Season number.

You can claim these rewards by talking to the Seasonal Quartermaster at the Wolves’ Den Pier (X:4.9 Y:5.7), and make sure to do so before Patch 6.2 scheduled for late August.

Regarding Frontlines, several adjustments have been implemented, yet more are slated to come in Patch 6.2. The combat rank bonus for the limit gauge has been lowered where Rank 1 fills 0.75 times slower, Rank 2 has no modifier to limit gain, and Rank 3 fills at a 1.25 rate.

Damage modifiers based on your role have also been adjusted, where damage taken for tanks and melee DPS have been reduced from -40% to -60%. Physical ranged, magical ranged, and healers have had their damage taken reduced from -20% to -30%. Conversely, damage dealt for Summoner, Scholar, and White Mage have been reduced from 0% to -10%.

Here’s a look at the action updates job by job:

Crystalline Conflict (6.11)