Final Fantasy 14 Sets Unexpected Release For December 2026

Published Sep 20, 2026, 2:00 AM EDT

Tom Wilson is a Gaming Features Writer at Screen Rant. Over the past five years, Tom has worked as the Editor-in-Chief at The Game Crater, as a Staff Writer for GamingIntel, a List Writer at TheGamer, and, of course, as a Senior Writer at ScreenRant. Tom has experience writing reviews, guides, news, and features, and has been responsible for teams of writers, training them and editing their work.

Tom graduated with a Masters in Multimedia Journalism, and has since gone on to build up his portfolio of games journalism work.

Final Fantasy 14 is a game that just keeps getting bigger. With its recent port to the Nintendo Switch 2, its player count has skyrocketed, and Square Enix is evidently not quite ready to rest on its laurels. Jumping at the opportunity to expand the game further and capitalize on these newfound supporters, the developer is working tirelessly to deliver new updates, expansions, and more for the game, the vast majority of which dedicated fans are, naturally, already aware of.

However, what some may not be aware of is a brand-new, unexpected release for Final Fantasy 14 that's scheduled to be released towards the end of the year. This has come as quite a surprise, although a rather pleasant one, especially amid news of the closure of FF14. Of course, both newcomers who've jumped in via the Nintendo Switch 2 version and those who've been playing since the game's initial rocky launch will want to keep a close eye on this new release so they can grab it when it launches.

The influx of new FF14 content is frankly rather staggering. Players are frequently bombarded with free Final Fantasy 14 downloads, new releases, and the coveted expansions that give the game its famous (or infamous, depending on how you look at it), near 1,000-hour runtime. Of course, one shouldn't complain about this, especially as it's in the nature of an MMO to release numerous updates and pieces of content, big and small, in order to keep its paying player base interested enough to keep engaging and consuming.

However, every once in a while, Square Enix likes to step beyond the game and its flurry of frequent updates to release another, related product that can enrapture the minds of its fans and give them something novel to do between bouts of grinding dungeons with friends. This includes the latest surprise Final Fantasy 14 release, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail - The Art of Succession -Relics of Eternity. This is a brand-new art book for the game that covers everything through Patch 7.5 of the game.

The Art of Succession -Relics of Eternity- is the second in a two-part art book series covering Final Fantasy 14, with the first part, The Art of Succession –Relics of Heritage–having been released in 2025. Fans can expect this new entry to cover everything from The Arcadion and Echoes of Vana’diel to Cosmic Exploration, all of which is contained within the paperback book's 304 pages. Those who purchase it will also get an item code to be used in-game for a Lolly Cat minion.

The Final Fantasy 14 art book is scheduled to launch physically on December 15, 2026, with a digital release coming a few months later on June 15, 2027. It costs $39.99 and can be pre-ordered from the official Square Enix website right now. This is absolutely a release for dedicated fans eager to collect everything related to the game, and those interested in seeing the art behind Final Fantasy 14 and the hard work that goes into creating its gorgeous world.

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