Final Fantasy XIV 7.25's Occult Crescent promises to build on previous Field Operations with great new content

It’s been a while since Final Fantasy XIV fans have had an awesome Field Operation event, and Occult Crescent looks to be just that. Set on a mysterious island in the Shades Triangle off the coast of Yok Tural, the island — likely named after the popular Crescent Island in the Final Fantasy series — will be home to some truly fantastic content. It all seems very connected to Final Fantasy V, which is easily one of the best games in the franchise.

Coming after the launch of 7.2, Final Fantasy XIV’s Occult Crescent drops in patch 7.25 and will be chock-full of content to complete alone or in a group. Though, it seems like grouping up is the way to go. Here’s what we know about this upcoming Field Operation area.

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What we know so far about the Occult Crescent in Final Fantasy XIV

Fans of Eureka and Bozja will finally have something to do again in Final Fantasy XIV once the Occult Crescent drops in 7.25. You will need to be level 100 and have to complete the 7.0 Dawntrail story first before you unlock this area, but that shouldn’t be a major issue. The area itself will be split into zones and further into 72-player instances. As time goes on, more areas will be added to the Occult Crescent.

Just look at that amazing FFV job icon! (Image via Square Enix)

Players will have unique Phantom Jobs to use while on the island. We do know some of these, namely Geomancer, Ranger, Time Mage, Berserker, Chemist, and Cannoneer — so again, very Final Fantasy V. Players will also gain Knowledge Levels here, and as that level increases, so will the content they can do.

If you’re in a group in Final Fantasy XIV’s Occult Crescent, and everyone is within 3 Knowledge Levels of each other, they will be considered a “Balanced Party” and can earn EXP Chains. You can also have someone Level Sync, if necessary. Defeating high-level enemies with the chain icon in quick succession will trigger the EXP Chain, and with it, increased rewards.

However, you should also know that if you aren’t revived by another player after reaching Knowledge Level 5, you’ll lose exp each time and might even de-level. That makes grouping even more valuable than before — or at least playing during busy hours.

Will this drive up the cost of Elixirs in FFXIV? It's possible (Image via Square Enix)

There are also treasure chests to find out in the wild. If you feed the Magic Pot NPCs an Elixir, they’ll give you hints about where to find some of this treasure — so make sure you have plenty! There’s also a raid here, inspired by Final Fantasy V: The Forked Tower, for up to 48 players.

Do note that you can acquire “ciphers” while exploring the zone. If at least 16 players use these ciphers in specific locations, they’ll be teleported into the Forked Tower. Once we know how to unlock these, we’ll get you the information.

Finally, the Occult Crescent will also be a place where players can unlock and advance their various Phantom Weapons — the new Relic Weapons coming in patch 7.25. This is just one of two ways to improve these weapons, so it sounds like Square Enix is giving us some choices. The Occult Crescent area looks gorgeous, and I can’t wait to explore it and its secrets in Final Fantasy XIV.

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