March Version Update

[Yoji_Fujito]

Good day, adventurers!
Thank you for your continued support of Final Fantasy XI!

The March 2026 version update is nearly upon us. This month's update features a number of additions centered on the alter ego upgrade system that I've mentioned previously, so I'd like to cover each of them in more detail.


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■ Reimagining the Trust magic system and the first steps toward that goal
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Starting with this update, we plan to gradually shift the Trust magic system from a party-support role to one focused on expanding solo play so that all players can properly enjoy a wider variety of in-game content. As such, these updates will combine to serve as a sort of renewal for the overall system.

More specifically, the development of your alter egos will now be based on the following two concepts:

- Alter ego points: Used to upgrade basic stats
-Alter ego equipment system (tentative name): Used to upgrade attributes other than basic stats

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● Alter ego points
The March version update will add the alter ego points to the Trust magic system. These points can be used to upgrade your alter egos' basic stats such as HP and STR.

The primary way to earn these alter ego points is by completing the monthly objectives in the Records of Eminence, meaning that you can accumulate them on a regular basis. The system is designed so that you can strengthen your alter egos by allocating points to any stat. All stats can eventually be maxed out, but points cannot be reassigned, so make sure to choose your upgrades carefully. In addition to the standard methods, we plan to occasionally offer additional opportunities to earn points, such as during events like Vana'Bout.

Furthermore, the "filled memory gems" used to call forth even stronger alter egos based on the number of members in your party will be removed due to these changes to the upgrade policy and the implementation of this system. In accordance with this change, the completion reward for the Records of Eminence objective "Way Over Capacity" will be replaced with an item used to acquire alter ego points. (Players who have already completed this quest can acquire the same number of alter ego points, so please see the March version update information for more details.)

- Alter ego equipment system (tentative name)
Once the alter ego points system has been implemented for a while, we plan to introduce the second pillar of the new system—alter ego equipment.

This feature will enable you to select equipment for your alter ego, providing them with ability boosts beyond their basic stats, similar to how the puppetmaster attachments work. We plan to make the equipment obtainable even when playing solo and are also currently exploring ways to incorporate existing content and crafting systems. As a result, it will be some time before we can share further details, so please stay tuned for additional updates regarding this feature.


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■ Improvements to the game environment
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We've made a number of changes to various areas of the game based on everyone's feedback.

- Limbus

In order to encourage even more players to help defeat the notorious monsters, we plan to add job points and exemplar points as rewards to the treasure chests that can be opened with Unique data.

- Seekers of Adoulin

After leaving the battle area for Colonization Reives and Lair Reives, the waiting period to rejoin the battle will be reduced from five minutes to one minute.
We have taken our time to carefully consider this adjustment, due to concerns about the potential for abuse within the Reives. As such, we will set the value at its absolute limit, but please note that if there are any negative impacts as a result of this change, we may look to revise it again in the future.

- Chocobo Digging

Sorry for the wait on this one! You can now check a chocobo's digging proficiency by referring to its Wing Skill.
This skill is processed internally within the game and is not displayed in the status window. As such, its level increases will be shown in the chat log, and you can also check the chocobo's current Wing Skill level at any time by speaking to the chocogals located in the chocobo stables in San d'Oria, Bastok, or Windurst.


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■ Ambuscade
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- Volume 1: Velkks (Item Level 119 and above)
- Volume 2: Treants (Item Level 109 and above)

In the battle against the Velkk, inflicting a large amount of damage against the boss (Bozzetto Regent) in a short period of time will cause its escorts to use their special abilities. So be sure to keep an eye on your surroundings when using powerful weapon skills or skillchains!

With the Treants, the battle features a "cherry blossom viewing" theme that is perfect for spring. Splendid Sakura is a boss known for its Plague aura, which is reminiscent of scattered pollen, and its special ability Chelate, which cancels the effects of food. However, the more often it uses Chelate, the weaker its aura becomes and once it disappears, Splendid Sakura will enter "flower-viewing time." During this time, bonus damage will be applied to your attacks, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity!


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■ A.M.A.N. and LIVE! in SHIBUYA
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*This photo shows the event held in 2019

On March 7, A.M.A.N. and LIVE! will be broadcast in front of a live audience for the first time ever, and consists of two separate parts! The first part will take place exclusively at the venue, while the second part starts at 6:30 p.m. and is open to both those in attendance as well as people from around the globe joining us via YouTube Live.

In the second part of the broadcast, we plan to talk about the Trust magic system that I discussed previously and also share stories that we feel will help deepen your enjoyment of FFXI. We will also make a brief announcement regarding the schedule for A.M.A.N. and LIVE! in 2026, so please try to check it out even if you can't make it to the venue in person.


I hope all of you are looking forward to the March version update.
Safe journeys!


Mission and Quest-related

Implementation Timing	Update Task and Details	In-progress Task	Details
March	Records of Eminence	・Update monthly objectives	-

Content and System-related

Implementation Timing	Update Task and Details	In-progress Task	Details
March	Trusts	・Add alter ego points, a new system which enhances the base parameters of alter egos ・Add new item for obtaining alter ego points to rewards for completing Records of Eminence monthly objectives ・Add new requirements for initiating certain objectives in RoE Quests 3 ・Change rewards for "Way Over Capacity" ・Remove effect of Filled Memory Gem key item ・Remove Cornelia's alter ego	-
March	Limbus	・Add job point and exemplar point rewards to treasure chests opened using Unique Data	-
March	Conquest	・Exclude K.O.s that do not incur EXP loss from total K.O. count	-
March	Chocobo Digging	・Add Wing Skill, a visual indicator of skill level	-
March	Ambuscade	・Replace notorious monsters	-

Battle-related

Implementation Timing	Update Task and Details	In-progress Task	Details
March	Reives	・Shorten the waiting period for rejoining battle after exiting a field of battle	-

Item-related

Implementation Timing	Update Task and Details	In-progress Task	Details
March	Items	・Add new items	-
March	Porter Moogle	・Add to list of supported items	-