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To catch up on Final Fantasy XIV’s main story, first check the Main Scenario Guide and the latest official patch notes to find the newest quest available for your version of the game. Then choose whether to play every missing quest, use an eligible Tales of Adventure scenario skip, or replay completed chapters in New Game+. Those options are not interchangeable: a scenario skip marks covered quests complete but does not raise your job level, while New Game+ replays eligible story you have already completed.
Your practical target is the latest main-scenario patch you can access, not an assumed deadline for the next expansion. Check your account’s expansion access and the level required for the next quest before deciding that a story skip will get you all the way there.
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What story should you catch up to?
A useful target is the latest main-scenario quest available in the patch you can play—not simply the end of the most recent expansion. Final Fantasy XIV adds story in patches between expansions, so a player who stopped at an expansion’s credits may still have several post-expansion quest arcs to complete.
Square Enix’s Dawntrail Patch 7.5 page lists “Trail to the Heavens” Part 1 for patch 7.5 and Part 2 for patch 7.56. The page gives April 28, 2026 as the release date for patch 7.5; the Eorzea Database quest result is marked Patch 7.56. These are the latest story endpoints established by the official pages cited here, not a guarantee that they remain the newest quests indefinitely. Check the current Dawntrail patch page, Eorzea Database quest listings, and your in-game Main Scenario Guide before planning your catch-up route.
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- A new adventure awaits in Norvrandt
- New jobs, including gun breaker and dancer
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- Level cap increase from 70 to 80
- New cities to explore: The Crystarium and Eulmore
No next-expansion release date is established by those cited pages. Avoid planning around a countdown or assumed deadline; use the latest available main-scenario patch as your practical goal, then check official announcements for any later expansion date.
How to find where you left off
- Open the in-game Main Scenario Guide. Use it to identify the main-scenario quest currently available to your character. The exact next quest can depend on your progress and eligibility, so use your character’s quest status rather than relying only on a list of expansion-ending quests.
- Check the current patch notes. Compare the quest you see in-game with the latest official Lodestone patch notes. This helps distinguish the end of an expansion’s original story from its later patch quests.
- Check the quest database if the endpoint is unclear. The Eorzea Database can help you confirm quest groupings and patch associations. Its result cited here is marked Patch 7.56; check the live listing because the database may reflect newer patches later.
- Set a reachable goal. If you want to experience the complete story, aim to finish the missing quests through the latest patch you can access. If you mainly want to join friends, identify precisely which story segment a skip would cover and what remains after it.
There is no reliable official estimate here for the number of hours required to catch up. The amount varies with the character’s stopping point and the player’s pace, and any skip’s endpoint affects how much story remains to play.
A good check-in routine is to consult the Main Scenario Guide whenever you return after a break, then compare its quest with the latest patch notes. This avoids mistaking an expansion’s original finale for the end of all available main-scenario content. If a quest appears unavailable, verify your character’s quest progress and eligibility before assuming that you need a skip or that the story has ended.
Compare the three ways to catch up
| Route | Story coverage | Time and cost | Main trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Play missing Main Scenario Quests | Plays the unfinished story in sequence and preserves its intended experience. | Time varies by stopping point and pace; no reliable official duration is stated. No catch-up item is required. | Most complete narrative route, but the player must complete the missing quests and meet normal progression requirements. |
| Use a Tales of Adventure scenario skip | Marks the scenario covered by the selected item complete and starts the character at the next storyline. The official guide lists optional scenario items through Endwalker. | Optional digital item sold through the FFXIV Online Store; a current price is not established here. No verified time saved is stated. | Faster quest progression at the cost of skipping covered story. It does not raise job level, and the item’s coverage does not establish that Dawntrail or later story can be skipped. |
| Use New Game+ | Replays eligible chapters already unlocked by completing their final quests. | No purchase price or completion-time estimate is established here. | Useful for revisiting completed story, but it neither completes unfinished quests nor advances the character. |
Square Enix’s Tales of Adventure guide describes the optional items this way: “Or perhaps you would like to catch up with your friends? If so, the Tales of Adventure optional items can give you the boost you need!” That is the publisher’s promotional description. Functionally, the items cover only their designated scenario, do not level a job, and do not remove the expansion-license and level requirements for later Main Scenario Quests.
Compare the options by four questions: Do you want to experience the missing story in order? Does an item actually cover the part you want to bypass? Will you meet the next quest’s level and expansion requirements afterward? Are you comfortable paying for an optional digital item rather than playing the quests? The answers matter more than an assumed number of hours saved: there is no universal catch-up duration, and the current store price needs to be checked in the store.
Route 1: Play the missing story
Choose this if you want the full narrative context, enjoy the questing, or do not want to buy a scenario item. Keep following the Main Scenario Guide rather than trying to jump between expansion summaries: the main quest chain is the in-game route through unfinished story, and the next quest available to your character is a better guide than a remembered expansion boundary.
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- Features a vibrant cast of characters, hundreds of quests, and exciting locales to explore
- Tackle challenging dungeons and raids
- Experience all of the jobs/classes on a single character
- Use the Main Scenario Guide to identify your current main-scenario quest and the next objective.
- Complete the quests shown there, following their prerequisites when the next main quest is unavailable.
- After reaching the end of a major story arc, check the latest official patch notes and database listing for post-expansion quests before deciding that you are caught up.
- Repeat the check after completing the current patch’s quests. The endpoint changes as new patches add story.
This route preserves character progression rather than substituting a purchased scenario-completion flag. It does not guarantee a particular completion date: the remaining story depends on where you stopped and how quickly you play, and no official catch-up-time estimate is available in the cited material.
Playing through the quests is also the clearest choice when you are uncertain which skip, if any, applies to your character. You continue from your actual quest state, and you can pause after a story arc to decide whether you want to keep going. If you return after a long break, use the in-game guide and patch notes again rather than relying on memory of the last expansion you finished.
Route 2: Use a Tales of Adventure scenario skip
A Tales of Adventure scenario skip is for a player who wants to mark a covered portion of the main scenario complete. The official guide lists scenario items through Endwalker. That endpoint matters: the cited guide does not establish an item that skips Dawntrail’s main story or patches beyond Endwalker. Check the current Online Store catalog and the item description before buying, because availability and coverage can change.
Before you buy
- Confirm the exact story coverage. Read the current item description and compare its completion point with your goal. A skip completes only the scenario it names; do not assume it advances a character through every later expansion or patch.
- Check your account’s expansion access. To continue into a later expansion’s story, you need the designated expansion registered to your account. A scenario item does not supply that license.
- Check the job-level requirement for the next quest. A scenario skip does not raise the character’s level. You must meet the level required by the next Main Scenario Quest through normal leveling or a separate job-level boost.
- Keep story and job items distinct. The official guide treats job-level boosts and scenario skips as separate items. Do not assume that buying or using a job-level boost completes any story quests.
After using a skip
Return to the Main Scenario Guide to see the next quest your character can pursue. If the next story is unavailable, check both expansion registration and the character’s job level against that quest’s requirements. A skip changes which quests are marked complete; it does not bypass access or level checks for subsequent progression.
Tales of Adventure are optional digital items sold through the FFXIV Online Store. No current price is established here, and a skip is not required for players who already own the game and prefer to play the missing story.
Treat the coverage description as the boundary of what the item does, not as a promise that every later story requirement is handled. Before purchasing, match the item’s named scenario to the character’s current progress and intended destination. Then check what comes next: you may still have quests to play, an expansion license to register, or a level requirement to meet. A skip is a story-progression choice, not a substitute for checking those separate requirements.
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- Access to all expansion content from Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers, unlocking additional jobs, areas, story quests and more ways to explore: flying, swimming and diving
- A flexible class system that allows players to switch freely between a variety of classes and jobs, including new additions Gunbreaker and Dancer, and reach the new level cap of level 80
- All the hallmarks of the FINAL FANTASY franchise, including an engaging storyline, genre-leading graphics, and HD real time cut scenes
- Robust gameplay features such as player-managed Free Companies, diverse party finder features to group up with other players with ease, and a variety of fun activities in the Gold Saucer area, all designed to accommodate a dynamic player community
- Challenging trials, dungeons and raids for groups of up to 24, and exciting player-vs-player (PvP) content for groups of up to 72 players
If you are deciding between a scenario skip and a job-level boost, start with the problem you are trying to solve. If you want covered quests marked complete, review the scenario item. If your character lacks the level for a subsequent quest, that is a leveling issue; the job boost is a distinct optional item and does not, by itself, complete the story. Confirm each product’s current description rather than assuming that one purchase includes the other.
Route 3: Use New Game+ to revisit completed chapters
New Game+ is a replay feature, not a catch-up shortcut. It lets you revisit eligible chapters after completing their final quests. Use it when you have already finished the relevant story and want to refresh the plot, revisit scenes, or replay a completed section. It cannot finish an unfinished chapter for you or advance your character to a later point in the main scenario.
Square Enix’s Patch 7.1 Notes describe gameplay restrictions while New Game+ is active. Since the current restrictions and in-game details may change, check the feature’s current in-game instructions before starting a replay, especially if you intend to switch between replay and normal progression.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsUse New Game+ when your goal is a refresher, not a shortcut to the latest quest. Its chapter eligibility depends on having completed the relevant final quest, so it is not a way to enter a chapter you left unfinished. If you are unsure whether a section is unlocked, check the current in-game New Game+ details. Keep in mind that replay mode has gameplay restrictions described in the official notes; review those instructions before activating it so the mode’s limits do not surprise you.
Do I need to level if I buy a story skip?
Yes, if the job you plan to use does not meet the next Main Scenario Quest’s level requirement. A scenario skip changes story completion; it does not increase job level. You also need the required expansion registered to your account to enter that expansion’s story. These are separate checks: having the quests marked complete does not itself provide a required expansion license or the level needed to continue.
A job-level boost is a distinct item. It may address job level, but the official Tales guide distinguishes it from scenario progression; do not treat it as a story skip. Confirm the current item descriptions and the next quest’s requirements before purchasing either item.
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- Access to all expansion content from Heavensward and Stormblood, unlocking additional jobs, areas, story quests and more ways to explore: flying, swimming and diving
- A flexible class system that allows players to switch freely between a variety of classes and jobs, including new additions red mage and samurai, and reach the new level cap of level 70
- All the hallmarks of the FINAL FANTASY franchise, including an engaging storyline, genre-leading graphics, and HD real time cut scenes.
- Robust gameplay features such as player-managed Free Companies, diverse party finder features to group up with other players with ease, and a variety of fun activities in the Gold Saucer area, all designed to accommodate a dynamic player community.
- Challenging trials, dungeons and raids for groups of up to 24, and exciting player-vs-player (PvP) content for groups of up to 72 players
In practical terms, look at the next Main Scenario Quest after the scenario endpoint and check its requirements against the character you plan to use. If the level is short, the story skip has not solved that problem. If the expansion is not registered, quest completion from an item does not grant access to that expansion. Resolve each requirement separately before paying for an optional item, and do not assume a job-level boost and a scenario skip are bundled together.
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Which route should you choose?
- Choose normal play if seeing the story in order matters most or if the skip item’s listed endpoint would leave the story you want to reach unfinished.
- Consider a scenario skip if you knowingly want to bypass only the scenario named in the current item description, and you have checked expansion registration and the level needed to continue.
- Choose New Game+ if the relevant chapter is already complete and you want to replay it for context. It is not a substitute for either normal progression or a scenario skip.
There is no verified universal duration or cost comparison: catch-up time depends on story progress and play pace, and the current store price is not established here. Decide based on the specific quests you have left, how much story you want to experience, and whether the item’s documented coverage matches your target.
If you are starting without the game and the expansion licenses you need, the official skip guide makes registered product keys relevant to expansion-story progression. FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Complete Edition may be a starting point to investigate, but check the current product contents, platform compatibility, and license status for your account before buying. Most players who already own the game do not need a physical catch-up product: Tales of Adventure are optional digital items sold through the FFXIV Online Store, and no marketplace listing or current price is established here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Common catch-up mistakes to avoid
- Stopping at an expansion’s original ending. Later patches can add further main-scenario quests. Check the latest patch notes and your Main Scenario Guide rather than treating expansion credits as the current endpoint.
- Assuming the endpoint never changes. Patch 7.5 and 7.56 are the endpoints shown by the official references cited here. Recheck the official pages and in-game guide when you begin, because later patches may add quests.
- Buying a skip without checking its coverage. The cited Tales guide lists scenario items through Endwalker; it does not establish coverage for Dawntrail or later story. Read the current catalog entry before purchase.
- Expecting a scenario skip to level a job. It does not. Verify the level for the next quest and make a separate leveling plan if needed.
- Confusing replay with progression. New Game+ revisits eligible completed chapters; it does not complete an unfinished quest chain.
- Planning around an unverified expansion date or catch-up estimate. The official pages cited here do not establish a next-expansion release date or an average catch-up duration. Check official announcements and plan around the current available story instead.
- Assuming one purchase handles every requirement. A scenario skip, job-level boost, and expansion registration address different things. Check the item descriptions and account access separately.
- Buying a physical edition just to catch up. Players who already own the game and required licenses generally need no physical catch-up item. Verify any product’s edition contents and platform fit before purchase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I catch up on the FFXIV story?
Check the Main Scenario Guide for your character’s current quest, then compare it with the latest official patch notes and Eorzea Database listing. Play the missing quests for the complete story, or consider a skip only after confirming exactly which scenario it covers and what requirements remain.
Can I skip the story in FFXIV?
Optional Tales of Adventure scenario items can mark their designated scenario complete. The official guide lists these items through Endwalker, but their catalog and coverage can change. Check the current Online Store description; a skip does not level your job or provide expansion access.
How does New Game+ work in FFXIV?
New Game+ lets you replay eligible chapters after you have completed their final quests. It is for revisiting completed story, not for skipping unfinished quests or advancing your character. Check its current in-game instructions and restrictions before starting.
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Do I need to level if I buy a story skip?
Yes, if your job does not meet the level requirement for the next Main Scenario Quest. A scenario skip does not raise job level. You also need the designated expansion registered to your account for its story; a separate job-level boost does not complete story quests.
How much time does it take to catch up on the FFXIV main story?
There is no reliable official catch-up-time estimate here. The time depends on where your character stopped and how quickly you play, as well as how much story a skip, if any, covers.
How much does a Tales of Adventure skip cost?
Tales of Adventure are optional digital items sold through the FFXIV Online Store. Check the current listing for its price and coverage; no fixed current price is established here.
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The official Dawntrail Patch 7.5 page lists “Trail to the Heavens” Part 1 in patch 7.5 and Part 2 in patch 7.56. The page gives April 28, 2026 as the Patch 7.5 release date, while the Eorzea Database result is marked Patch 7.56. Check the live patch notes and your in-game guide for any newer endpoint.
The Bottom Line
Start with your Main Scenario Guide and verify the latest patch endpoint; then play the missing quests, use a Tales of Adventure skip only for the scenario it names, or use New Game+ to replay completed chapters. A scenario skip does not level your job or grant expansion access, and there is no verified universal catch-up duration or next-expansion date to plan around.
Quick Recap
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