6.0 Predictions: Will it be Garlemald, Sharlayan, or Meracydia?

Source conflicts with inference. Will withhold further speculation until later.

The epilogue for 5.3 very strongly points to Ilsabard in Garlean core territories, "the domain of the Beast".

5.4 and 5.5 story will probably be the unhinged tactics of Garlamald considering it’s no longer being run by the “unfragmented” which begs the question of the difference between that and the “Fragmented” ones.

I lowkey want to explore the rest of Hingashi and Radz-at-Han (being very close allies to Garlamald) but then again their is a giant dust cloud where ilsabard is so perhaps not...

I'm not sure at this point we've had a strong hint to were we are going. This is probably intentional.

The Yoshi-p comment about refreshing Heavensward is cryptic. You could take any thread from that story and apply it to a new expansion. Maybe we are going to settle another war? Maybe we will approach the heavens for answers? It could have absolutely nothing to do with dragons, Allagans, or Mercaydians. Maybe the invasion of Eorzea is so complete we have to run to a distant land to escape with a hand full of scions (following a very shocking death)?

My point here is this: We don't have much to go on. This discussion will need to be tabled till we see 5.4 and 5.5.

All we have as proof of going forward is 5.3 ending is everyone is ready for the next adventure and the twins will probably change their classes and get new outfits in the future expansion.

Neither. We will somehow end up at the 13th... Again.

Though Yoshi-P did indeed say that, maybe he's misleading us with that statement. I think we're still going to Garlemald, but not to take the fight to them and end the war. Considering how the empire was said to be a cesspool for Ascians, a civil war just broke out and Zenos had taken over the capital, it's going through an imminent collapse. The subversion might be that we're not fighting against Garlemald, but for Garlemald. To restore its dignity and rebuild it into something better from its ashes.

That is what I think Yoshi-P meant with "subverting expectations in a good way". The destination is the same, though the objective is not. But who knows...

Eh, I can't see fighting for Garlemald working out at all. It's not like we went around and starting fighting for the Ascians after all, this is just the same thing.

As for what it means, personally hoping for Sharlayan stuff myself, there is a decent bit of that in Heavensward and would fit with the direction things seem to be trending, but hard to say for sure.

One of the twins (or both) will change into a new 6.0 job

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Originally Posted by KageTokage

MSQ spoilers

I feel like they baited us by making Zenos initially say he had no interest in the throne only for him to boomerang on that decision and take it so he can play more of his games with us, only on a far grander, more devastating scale then in SB.

I reckon he\\'s going to make the Empire throw everything it has at Eorzea and its allies to provoke us into coming after him...though it\\'s a touch unclear what role Fandaniel and Zodiark have to play in this tale still.

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MSQ spoilers

I could be misremembering, but the last scene with him and Fandaniel implied to me that it was the Ascians idea for him to take the throne. Zenos seems so completely unenthused, and only cares about us it seems. Maybe he didn\\'t want the throne, but our Asahi Joker pal convinced him it would help set the stage for a showdown with us.

I just hope Zenos isn't an important factor on 6.0.
It's a plain character with no background, the typical "I want to be stronger than you" villain with a fake motivation.

It will be hard to get better villains than Shadowbringers I guess.

I'm in the minority here but I actually love Zenos for various reasons (less enthusiastic about Asahi tho, or Asahi's face for the matter). I don't think he's as bad as people paint him out to be, he just got the short end of the stick in Stormblood. Though I have full trust in ishikawa to make something grand out of it and I wanted to go to Garlemald for 4years now so I really,really hope 6.0 will be the time we actually visit the capital city. (Hopefully not in the way Ala Mhigo was handled)

And after that I'll be content with Meracydia.

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Originally Posted by Nanchi

I'm in the minority here but I actually love Zenos for various reasons (less enthusiastic about Asahi tho, or Asahi's face for the matter). I don't think he's as bad as people paint him out to be, he just got the short end of the stick in Stormblood. Though I have full trust in ishikawa to make something grand out of it and I wanted to go to Garlemald for 4years now so I really,really hope 6.0 will be the time we actually visit the capital city. (Hopefully not in the way Ala Mhigo was handled)

And after that I'll be content with Meracydia.

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Oh it is certain by now Zodiark is not Evil since he is born with valuing the life on the planet but the issue with him is that his Primal Programming makes him value the old life of the planet instead of the new life.

It is in the end the conflict of who is valued more for the "greater good", as Zodiark is created the value and preserve the old life of the planet by sacrificing the new life so the old world can continue while Hydaelyn is created to preserve the new life for a new generation of society but in return the old life will remain dead.

A very conflicting point of views because by preserving the old life everything will always remain the same forever and everyone they know will always be alive but in doing so they are forever locked from giving birth to a new generation of people because the new life must always be sacrificed to bring back those from the old world and never progressing from what they believe is the peak of a Peaceful world despite the flaws of that old world.

Preserving the new life means we will always have a new generation of people in society that will build and develop the world to a new uncertain future but in doing so we will eventually forget the old world and may even repeat past mistake because the new generations forgotten. It will always be a constant future of uncertainty but it will still be possible to one day to make the peaceful world that once was with the new generation and maybe a better one.

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Originally Posted by GrizzlyTank

Neither. We will somehow end up at the 13th... Again.

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. . . I actually think it's a serious possibility? It definitely featured pretty heavily in Heavensward and given the Unsundered couldn't enact their grand plan without getting it back into rejoinable shape, there could still be shenanigans afoot regarding it.

I don't think there'll be an entire expansion set in the Thirteenth the way ShB was in the First, but I definitely think going back there at some point is very likely.

I do not think they will do a 13th expansion right after an expansion that takes us to the first, i believe or at least hope that wherever it is it will be on the source, mainly as this gives us new areas to use on the main story that takes place their, plus the 13th is not like the first where there was still some land that remained free from the flood, the flood of darkness on the 13th completely consumed it if i recall.

who knows? shadowbringers taking place on the first came completely out of left field. It's possible it's one of these locations but it's also possible it's somewhere we know nothing about.

After 5.3 I'm now convinced it will be a split-focus Sharlayan + Garlemald expac depending on how things shake out with our villains in 5.4 & 5.5

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Originally Posted by KaerisKlyne

After 5.3 I'm now convinced it will be a split-focus Sharlayan + Garlemald expac depending on how things shake out with our villains in 5.4 & 5.5

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This is my inclination as well. Unless Zenos is the last boss in the 5.4 dungeon or a solo duty in 5.5, I've no doubt that we'll be going to Garlemald now. But I still fully believe we'll also be dealing with Sharlayan, if for no other reason than it seems like the most likely place to launch any kind of attack against Zodiark.

I have noticed a pattern when it comes to this games story telling. It seems that they always include (at least in my opinion) some sort of filler story in between the actual main event.


1.XX to the filler ARR. Yes I consider ARR a filler season of a TV show. I didn't even level up once during the dang thing.
Heavensward to a filler Stormblood. Ending a thousand year war vs a land grab, hell even the latest expansion picks up off events from Heavensward.
Shadowbringers to a filler Garlemald expansion. What better way to get rid of those guys, deal with the last of the Ascians plans and set up an all new story in one fell swoop? The Empire really doesn't even exist anymore. It's a graveyard. Also, Fandaniel is just using Zenos for a mass sacrifice. He is of the constellation of Leo, and some of you may remember what that particular zodiac does in FFT.


Just be ready for another time skip/our characters once again being forgotten and disappearing, fading into legend. Though I myself (in my insane, self deluded theories) want to deal with the original threat of whatever made the sound that drove the ancients mad. So I'm all for going back in time and doing just that. They did say focus on Heavensward, Alexander, and the Omega raids. We need to investigate Silvertear Lake further. Something worthy (*cough*Lavos*cough*) of a Elder Dragon being its Guardian is down there..

How can I post without leaving behind a lyric that I have been obsessing over since the patch dropped?

Seeking the peace of reason
Sheep in a peaceless season
Reason to keep believing
Waken the beast who's sleeping

7.0 is going to be something special. Some dev team members expressed their desire for various fixes and upgrades to the games combat and character systems, with Yoshida saying 7.0 at the earliest.

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Originally Posted by Rosenstrauch

This is my inclination as well. Unless Zenos is the last boss in the 5.4 dungeon or a solo duty in 5.5, I've no doubt that we'll be going to Garlemald now. But I still fully believe we'll also be dealing with Sharlayan, if for no other reason than it seems like the most likely place to launch any kind of attack against Zodiark.

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It was brought up too many times in ways very personal to many core characters for us not to head there IMO. I've always regarded Sharlayan as a bit of a superpower, because we don't really know the extent of the knowledge they're hoarding and not sharing, or how much they might know about things directly related to the MSQ. If Garlemald continues to descend into civil disarray and collapses, I fully believe it could mean the rise of Sharlayan as a scholarly empire. Don't the HW AST quests deal with a faction intent on stopping the spread of some Sharlayan teachings? There's meat there for sure. And if they do end up a bigger threat because of the events of 5.4/5.5, it's still a way in if we're roadblocked on the mainland because we have a whole group of extremely important people to the plot with major ties to Sharlayan.

So yes, I agree and think it's not a leap to say we could be visiting both, and it's reasonable since neither is terribly large, so it likely wouldn't be as detrimental to the settings and stories if it was split (something I still think SB suffered from a bit).

we might go to Garlemald but to actually help them fending off another force that tries to invade the empire.
could be mostly in Garlemald or split between Garlemald and the place the potential invader comes from

I'm half expecting that Zenos will make such a mess out of the Empire in 5.4-5.5 that we'll be going there in 6.0 to save the place from itself. Or perhaps more of the conquered territories begin rising up and we have to stem the chaos to protect the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

I just hope it doesn't turn into another round of "the people are too beaten down to stand up for themselves and tell you to piss off", because Stormblood burned that idea out.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

I'm half expecting that Zenos will make such a mess out of the Empire in 5.4-5.5 that we'll be going there in 6.0 to save the place from itself. Or perhaps more of the conquered territories begin rising up and we have to stem the chaos to protect the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire.

I just hope it doesn't turn into another round of "the people are too beaten down to stand up for themselves and tell you to piss off", because Stormblood burned that idea out.

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I'm kinda expecting a "the people's conception of the WoL is a evil mustache-twiling cultist as a result of Garlean propaganda" vibe myself. Especially in the event that we're going to their homeland instead of their colonies.

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Originally Posted by Morningstar1337

I'm kinda expecting a "the people's conception of the WoL is a evil mustache-twiling cultist as a result of Garlean propaganda" vibe myself. Especially in the event that we're going to their homeland instead of their colonies.

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That'd be interesting.

Regardless of where we go, I hope the expansion focuses specifically in one cultural area.

I believe the weakness of Stormblood was the split between Doma and Ala Mhigo. Although both are unique, their paring detracted from each other.

Whereas, Heavensward's focus on the war within Ishgard and Shadowbringer's being The First were much stronger in a world building sense.

I'd hate to see a Garlemald and Sharlayan expansion that causes both areas to be lesser than what they could be.

It will be somewhere in Ilsabard starting from Terncliff.

I really hope we'll be going to the Garlean lands in 6.0 and actually deal with Zenos for good cause I'm really tired of the whole "Meanwhile at the Garlean imperial palace..." lol
I do get it's a mean to show other things are happening in the background but I'm just tired and want to wrap this up.

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Originally Posted by Kesey

Regardless of where we go, I hope the expansion focuses specifically in one cultural area.

I believe the weakness of Stormblood was the split between Doma and Ala Mhigo. Although both are unique, their paring detracted from each other.

Whereas, Heavensward's focus on the war within Ishgard and Shadowbringer's being The First were much stronger in a world building sense.

I'd hate to see a Garlemald and Sharlayan expansion that causes both areas to be lesser than what they could be.

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I'm not super keen on a split either, but neither of those places has enough going on individually to justify an entire expansion devoted to it. Garlemald certainly does it. There's only so much post-war clean-up we can do. A split with Sharlayan makes the most sense because of its proximity to Garlemald and its presence as both a base for the Scions, who are heavily involved in the plot right now, as well as a powerful nation relatively independent from the rest of Eorzea in the north. Whose to say Sharlayan isn't going to sweep across Garlean lands and expand themselves? We also don't really have much info on Sharlayan or most of what goes on there, but I can't imagine the islands are terribly large.

It wasn't the geographical split that hurt Stormblood's depth of storytelling. It was the magnitude of storylines in those two relatively disconnected places not being able to flesh things out. I don't think we'd run into that same narrative problem with a Sharlayan + Garlemald expansion because by the time we get to Garlemald, most of the conflict is over and done with (it already is, honestly).

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Originally Posted by MuseTraveller

I really hope we'll be going to the Garlean lands in 6.0 and actually deal with Zenos for good cause I'm really tired of the whole "Meanwhile at the Garlean imperial palace..." lol
I do get it's a mean to show other things are happening in the background but I'm just tired and want to wrap this up.

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Glad i'm not the only one. Just annoyed that the actual decent antagonists are all gone and we get left with this drivel.

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Originally Posted by DamianFatale

It will be somewhere in Ilsabard starting from Terncliff.

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That would be rather neat, I think maybe the dev team setting up Terncliff ala Mor Dhona that expands over the last two patches, complete with aetheryte to attune. It's so unique that it would be a shame if it was a one-and-done thing.

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Originally Posted by KaerisKlyne

I'm not super keen on a split either, but neither of those places has enough going on individually to justify an entire expansion devoted to it. Garlemald certainly does it. There's only so much post-war clean-up we can do. A split with Sharlayan makes the most sense because of its proximity to Garlemald and its presence as both a base for the Scions, who are heavily involved in the plot right now, as well as a powerful nation relatively independent from the rest of Eorzea in the north. Whose to say Sharlayan isn't going to sweep across Garlean lands and expand themselves? We also don't really have much info on Sharlayan or most of what goes on there, but I can't imagine the islands are terribly large.

It wasn't the geographical split that hurt Stormblood's depth of storytelling. It was the magnitude of storylines in those two relatively disconnected places not being able to flesh things out. I don't think we'd run into that same narrative problem with a Sharlayan + Garlemald expansion because by the time we get to Garlemald, most of the conflict is over and done with (it already is, honestly).

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Sharlayan is just an island far away from everything else and is roughly the same size or smaller than Vylbrand (where Limsa Lominsa is). They are nowhere near Garlemald, there's an entire Eorzea-sized ocean in between the island and Ilsabard. On top of that, they're extremely isolationist and want nothing at all to do with the rest of the world's politics. That's why Lousioux and the Circle of Knowing left to Eorzea. Considering they've been neutral for a millennium and a half, I don't see that suddenly changing or giving us any reason to go there and do adventures in the Sharlayan countryside unless something drastic happens in the next two patches.

Hopefully before the next expansion happens, we off Zenos and leave Ilsabard to the remaining legatii who are becoming warlords and we go and do something new and interesting that doesn't have anything to do with Ascians, Allagans, or Garleans. I want Shadowbringers to be our Chains of Promathia, where the story is (mostly) ended, the world is saved, and the next expansion is free to be it's own thing. Doubtful, but I can dream.

Like Cristarium was our starting point, I think Sharlayan will be it for 6.0
And then if we want to end the saga Hydaelyn / Zordiarch without visiting this last, wouldn't be a bit odd ?
So, my bet is Sharlayan lands and the Moon.

We go to Sharlayan to reach the Moon and Zordiarch.
And if they are not enough zones, then furthermore it could be anything among Thavnair, Hingashi, Northern and Southern Islands (maybe for finding some kinds of artefacts which will allow us to go on the Moon)

For 6.x, my thinking is Ala Mhigo will be the main hub city, being a good staging point for expeditions into Ilsabard. The Imperial Capital of Garlemald will be like Eulmore, the place where you get tome gear and do collectable turn-ins.

Not having Ala Mhigo as a proper city after an entire expansion devoted to liberating it always kinda felt like a let down.

I'd like to see it as a city in its own right.

What if we actually go to....the Lifestream?
I just thought about it, and it is definitely a bit far-fetched, but Yoshida said that 6.0 might surprise us so...
Y'shtola, at the end of 5.3, says that if there is a way to travel between worlds, she will find it. I kinda take that as a reference to the fact that she was able to travel to the lifestream....twice! (even though I have to admit, I don't remember everything that was explained to us about those travels aside from the fact that she lost her sight)

Then I saw somebody on Twitter pointing out that the Sun on Azem's cristal is similar to the alchemy symbol for the Sun.
Based on Ivalice lore, Fandaniel is associated with Leo/Lion.
This person on Twitter then linked those facts to this image, of a Lion, eating the Sun.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suns_i...behind%20gold.


The 'final chapter of this star' at the end of 5.3, what if we are this star? The Sun is a star, and the WoL is now clearly associated with it. What if the WoL actually gets killed by Fandaniel/Zenos, and goes to the lifestream?
Or maybe Y'shtola sends us to the lifestream to find something/someone....

Also in 5.3, during the trial, Emet-Selkh saved us (maybe?probably?), even though he is technically dead. Elidibus seemed very confused about this, and so am I.
The same Emet-Selkh was also able to pull Y'shtola out of the lifestream in 5.0.
And Hades is basically the lord of the underworld/the lifestream in mythology.
All of this put together convinces me that we will see Hades again. Not to mention that we still did not get an explanation regarding the fact that he was not sundered.
Exploring the lifestream/underworld with Emet Selkh and then being sent back more powerful to kill Zenos and Fandaniel in 6.0? Maybe?

The way I took Emet-Selch's seeming post-mortem appearance was that he created Azem's stone specifically as a "just in case" measure to protect us from harm if he did actually end up finding us worthy. If he can create an entire city full of imitation Amaurotines, being able to create a short-lived replica of himself doesn't seem like much of a stretch.

The thing that's weighing on my mind most is how/why the stone reappeared at the Crystal Tower back on the Source. It makes me feel like there's someone/something else watching our backs now, though the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps one of the remaining Convocation members has decided to throw in their lot with us in the wake of their order effectively being dismantled with none of unsundered remaining (Which would be an interesting contrast from how Fandaniel seems to have chosen to back Zenos for whatever reason).

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Originally Posted by KageTokage

The thing that's weighing on my mind most is how/why the stone reappeared at the Crystal Tower back on the Source. It makes me feel like there's someone/something else watching our backs now, though the only thing that comes to mind is perhaps one of the remaining Convocation members has decided to throw in their lot with us in the wake of their order effectively being dismantled with none of unsundered remaining.

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I just took that to mean it fell out of our pocket. We kept it with us the entire time, and the scene to me and others seemed to harken back to the end sequence of FFIX where Garnet drops the Alexander stone, except we went back to pick it up while Garnet did not.

I was under the impression the stone had ceased to exist after it did its thing like the stones we handed to Elidibus, but perhaps I was mistaken.

The WoL's hesitance coupled with the weird camera pan afterward further made me feel like they were trying to imply that someone/something had returned another copy of the stone to us, but I guess they'll probably clarify matters sooner or later.

I'm pretty sure that we gave Elidibus all of the stones except Azem's. I also got the impression that Emet made the stone well before meeting us, possibly soon after the Sundering. Although whatever he did have planned for us probably did involve the stone (I presume he was going to restore the player character to Azem, ala the sundered Ascians) and he did leave it and the other stones behind for us to find prior to our confrontation in 5.0.

It's not clear when Emet-Selch made the Azem stone, but it was against the rules for him to do so in the first place due to Azem's defection. Rewatching the cutscene Hythlodaeus also suggests Emet-Selch knew the PC was a fragmented Azem.

Dropping the stone in the Crystal Tower's entryway and going back to pick it up, with lingering camera shots, is likely meant to be a bit of necessary symbolism due to the PC being a silent protagonist (for most intents and purposes). It's a sort of silent acknowledgement of the legacy they've inherited and the duty that comes with it... that's my interpretation of it, anyway.

As for the future, I'm still not sure on where things are going, but given the moon's importance as Zodiark's prison and Elidibus using an adaptation of IV's party during the showdown, I'm now anticipating a visit there. (DRGs are also prominent in Heavensward, the most famous of which is Kain Highwind, a IV character - so it fits the "Heavensward refresher" bit. Kind of.)