FFXIV Evercold Guide: Release Date, New Jobs and Evolved Mode
FFXIV Evercold guide: the January 2027 release window, Bastion and the second new job, Reborn vs Evolved Mode, Seasons, level 110 and how to prepare.
In this guide 10 sections
Quick summary
- Release: Evercold is Final Fantasy XIV's sixth expansion, set for January 2027. Square Enix hasn't announced an exact day, a price or pre-orders (Square Enix; Pogwire, October 17).
- New jobs: Bastion, a main tank that fights with a pair of greatshields called skyltborg, and a physical ranged DPS that hasn't been named yet. Both can only be played in the new Evolved Mode. The level cap rises from 100 to 110 (Square Enix).
- Two combat modes: every existing job can switch between Reborn Mode, the current kits, and Evolved Mode, condensed actions built around job identity. Icy Veins reports that both modes share level and gear and can be swapped out of combat.
- Free updates: players who don't buy Evercold still get the game design changes, the new battle system, and the PvP and Duty Support updates. That includes Seasons, a new way to earn rewards and item level.
- Next reveal: the Tokyo Fan Festival keynote on October 30, 2026 at 7 p.m. PT (October 31 in Japan). Icy Veins expects a preview of the second new job there.
FFXIV Evercold is Final Fantasy XIV's sixth expansion and the start of the Godless Realms Saga. This guide separates what Square Enix has confirmed on the official Evercold site and in its Lodestone announcement from what is still unannounced, explains the new Reborn and Evolved combat modes, and lists what to do before January. Evolved Mode details come from the Anaheim developer panel as written up by Icy Veins.
All Evercold content is "currently in development" and "subject to change prior to release," Square Enix says, so anything below that isn't marked as confirmed is reported or expected.
FFXIV Evercold release date and what's confirmed
| Topic | Status (Oct 28, 2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Release window | January 2027 | Square Enix, April 24 and July 25 |
| Exact date, price, pre-orders | Not announced; the Collector's Bundle "availability and pre-orders will be announced in the future" | Square Enix, July 25; Pogwire |
| Level cap | 100 to 110 | Square Enix |
| Tank job | Bastion, wielding two greatshields called skyltborg | Square Enix, July 25 |
| Physical ranged DPS | Confirmed but unnamed; any names you see online are fan speculation | Square Enix; Icy Veins |
| New areas | Naglfar, the Realmship of Water; Hringhorni, the Realmship of Fire; the city of Fargarth | Square Enix |
| Alliance raid | EVANGELION - Ghosts of Desire, with khara; Mahiro Maeda is a guest artist and designer | Square Enix |
| Eight-player raid | Beyond the Lifestream, a Final Fantasy VII Remake crossover; adds a new difficulty between Normal and Savage | Square Enix |
| Story | Starts the Godless Realms Saga on the Fourth, "a world lost to ice," facing the Solstice | Square Enix |
| Chocobo companion overhaul | From patch 8.1, not at launch | Square Enix, July 25 |
| Platforms | PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X and S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows, Mac, Steam | Official site via Pogwire |
Reborn Mode vs Evolved Mode explained
The largest change in Evercold is the battle system. Square Enix describes Reborn Mode as "based on the current combat system" and Evolved Mode as "designed to highlight each job's unique identity."
| Question | Reborn Mode | Evolved Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Which jobs | All 21 existing non-limited jobs (Icy Veins) | Existing jobs plus both new jobs; the new jobs are Evolved only (Square Enix) |
| Rotation | Same as today | Condensed into "a few key actions" that resemble PvP kits |
| Level and gear | Shared with Evolved | Shared with Reborn |
| Switching | Out of combat | Out of combat |
| Power | Can clear all content | Yoshi-P says it's "slightly stronger" |
| Level-synced roulettes | Current pruned kits | Full kit at level 50, so most of your job works in older content |
| Limited jobs (Blue Mage, Beastmaster) | Not applicable | Not applicable |
Square Enix demoed four jobs at the Anaheim panel:
- Paladin: actions change depending on the target. Divine Justice heals an ally like Clemency or hits an enemy like Holy Spirit. Shield Lob becomes Shield Bash within 5 yalms.
- Bard: songs have much shorter cooldowns. Radiant Finale is shorter than it is today, and there's a new dodge-jump called Wanderer's Volley.
- White Mage: played close to the live version.
- Dragoon: changed a lot compared with the live version.
Icy Veins notes that the numbers are still unknown. Treat any DPS comparison as speculation until the media tour or a benchmark.
Example: a Paladin main who enjoys today's rotation can stay in Reborn Mode for savage raids and switch to Evolved Mode for level-synced roulettes, where the full kit at level 50 makes old dungeons feel complete. Because level and gear are shared, trying both costs nothing but a switch outside combat.
Free Evercold changes for every player
Square Enix says these come to everyone with the launch of Evercold and its patch series, whether or not you buy it:
| System | What Square Enix says | What it likely means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Seasons | "An overhaul to the way players earn rewards and improve their characters"; "a redesigned framework for earning rewards and increasing item level" | Gearing will work differently in 8.x; don't over-invest in Dawntrail gear plans |
| Armory update | "To better facilitate playing with multiple jobs" | Multi-job players should benefit; details are still to come |
| Auto Content Balancing | In certain areas, duty difficulty and enemy levels adjust to your character level, so you can tackle story areas in your chosen order | You choose your route through part of the story |
| Expanded character customization | A color picker, fine-tuning of eyes and lips, eye shadow, removable components on certain gear, custom action animations | More appearance options before raiding starts |
| Same-region matching (patch 7.5x) | Matchmaking expands to whole physical data centers, starting with Japan in mid-October, then North America and Europe | Faster queues once your region gets it |
Evercold timeline: patch 7.57 to launch
| Date | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Apr 24, 2026 | Evercold announced at Fan Festival Anaheim | Square Enix |
| Jul 25, 2026 | Bastion revealed at Fan Festival Berlin | Square Enix |
| Sep 8, 2026 | Patch 7.56: main scenario quests and Beastmaster | Square Enix (Anaheim schedule) |
| Oct 13, 2026 | Patch 7.57: Crucible adjustments and Crucible Rankings details | Icy Veins |
| Oct 25 to late Nov, 2026 | Crucible Rankings Season 1 | Icy Veins |
| Oct 28, 2026 | Gold Saucer mini-game Keybound Brawler | Square Enix, July 25 |
| Oct 30, 2026, 7 p.m. PT | Tokyo Fan Festival keynote; Pogwire calls it the "third and final" fan festival before Evercold | Icy Veins; Pogwire |
| Dec 2026 | Starlight Celebration event | Icy Veins |
| Jan 2027 | Evercold launch window | Square Enix |
How to prepare for FFXIV Evercold
Before January, focus on the things that carry over into a new expansion or that become harder to do once it launches.
| Player type | What to do now | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New or returning player | Catch up on the main scenario through 7.56; the Free Trial now covers everything up to 5.58 (Shadowbringers) | Square Enix expanded the Free Trial on April 28; see our FFXIV leveling guide |
| Job leveler | Get the jobs you'll play to 100 | The cap rises to 110, and Evercold area scaling depends on character level (Square Enix); FFXIV leveling help is listed on the hub if you're short on time |
| Raider | Finish Dawntrail goals, including Dancing Mad (Ultimate), before the patch cycle resets | Icy Veins says raid consumable prices drop "with no further high-end content" |
| Crafter or gatherer | Watch for demand from players preparing for launch; Icy Veins says the best time to sell is often "just before the patch" | Expansion launches move the market |
| Beastmaster player | Run Crucible Rankings Season 1 from October 25 | The top 300 per physical data center (top 100 in Oceania) earn the Crucible Contender achievement and the Tourmaline Golem mount (Icy Veins) |
| Tank main | Watch Bastion footage from the Berlin trailer | It's the only confirmed tank addition, and it's Evolved Mode only |
A few other preparation tips:
- Practice switching jobs. The Armory update is aimed at multi-job play, so players who keep several jobs geared should gain the most.
- Save gil, don't spend it. Square Enix hasn't published prices or details for 8.0 crafting materials or housing. Icy Veins advises watching "what people start to prep" rather than guessing. Our FFXIV gil making guide covers what sells before and after an expansion launch.
- Clear older content in Reborn Mode now if you like your current rotation. Square Enix hasn't said whether Reborn will stay forever. Icy Veins notes that if Evolved is received well, it hints at the future of FFXIV combat.
Best ways to spend the time before Evercold
| Route | Time cost | Payoff at Evercold launch | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Main scenario catch-up | High for returning players | Required to play the story | Anyone behind on 7.x |
| Leveling several jobs to 100 | Medium | More options in Evolved and Reborn | Players who want to try Bastion and keep another role |
| Crucible Rankings push | Medium | A cosmetic mount and achievements | Beastmaster players |
| Ultimate or extreme raids | High | Clears and titles before the content ages out | Raid groups |
| Market preparation | Low to medium | Gil to spend at launch | Crafters and gatherers |
Evercold for alts and returning players
- Returning players: the Free Trial now covers everything through Shadowbringers (5.58). Paid players can use the leveling routes in our guide to reach 100 before January. Square Enix also says Evercold areas are balanced to your level in certain zones.
- Alts: Evercold's Armory update and shared level and gear between modes favor one well-geared character over several alts. Square Enix hasn't published details yet.
- Beastmaster players: limited jobs don't get Reborn or Evolved modes. Finish your Crucible goals in Season 1. See our Beastmaster guide.
- Switch 2 players: FFXIV launched on Nintendo Switch 2 on August 4, 2026, and Evercold lists Switch 2 among its platforms (Square Enix).
- Buying help before launch: Square Enix's rules on paid services apply to Evercold as they do today. Our FFXIV paid clears and gil risk guide explains them.
Want a hand with this?
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FAQ
When does FFXIV Evercold come out? In January 2027. Square Enix hadn't announced an exact day, price or pre-orders as of October 28, 2026; the next chance is the Tokyo Fan Festival keynote on October 30 at 7 p.m. PT.
What are the new jobs in Evercold? Bastion, a main tank with two greatshields called skyltborg, and an unnamed physical ranged DPS. Both are Evolved Mode only.
What is Evolved Mode? A second version of each job with condensed, identity-focused actions. It shares level and gear with Reborn Mode, and you swap between them out of combat (Icy Veins).
Will my current rotation disappear? No. Reborn Mode keeps today's kits for all 21 existing non-limited jobs, and Square Enix says all content is clearable in either mode.
What is the Evercold level cap? Level 110, up from 100.
Can I pre-order Evercold? Not yet. Square Enix says pre-order details for the Collector's Bundle will come later.
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