Patch 8.0 - How long is too long to wait?

With rumors about the release date being discussed, how long is too long for all of you to wait for 8.0? Some people are saying it will be 2.5 years from 7.0 release and others are saying 3 years.

For me, if patch 7.5 lands in April of 2026 and then they wait until summer of 2027, that’s my red line. They must get 8.0 out on or before December of 2026 or there will be mass “retirements” in my opinion.

For me personally it doesn't matter when exactly 8.0 comes out. It could be late 2026, early 2027 or even the end of this year for all I care.

Its still 3 expansions late imo.

My expectation is simply 2.5 years because that has been the case for the last 2 expansions. I'm expecting it in early 2027. Might be off slightly due to national holidays, but:

7.4 is probably Dec 23rd 2025
7.5 is probably May 5th 2026
8.0 is probably Jan 26th 2027

Which about aligns with the Fanfest timing we got before Dawntrail, where the NA Fanfest was roughly 11 months prior to release. Expecting the Fanfest around 27th February - 2nd March 2026

I think it would be unworkable to delay it until July 2027. That would be a patch gap of over a year between 7.5 and 8.0. I mean they could and people would just return then but it wouldn't make sense when they pride themselves on their consistent schedule.

If the normal process is followed, it will be around October sometime the next expansion is first revealed, the final main content patch (in this case, 7.55) will go live around March next year, and sometime mid next year the expansion will actually launch; probably June or July (EW was an exception due to the chaos and delays caused by COVID). This is how things have usually been handled, and because DT stuck to that too, I see no reason 8.0 will not be the same.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Enkidoh

If the normal process is followed, it will be around October sometime the next expansion is first revealed, the final main content patch (in this case, 7.55) will go live around March next year, and sometime mid next year the expansion will actually launch; probably June or July (EW was an exception due to the chaos and delays caused by COVID). This is how things have usually been handled, and because DT stuck to that too, I see no reason 8.0 will not be the same.

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Dawntrail didn't return to normal at all. Dawntrail also had around an 8-9 month gap between the .5 patch and the expansion, just like Endwalker did. They repeated the long delay that Endwalker release had.

The precedent for two expansions running is 2.5 years between expansions, whereas it used to be 2 years.

• Shadowbringers released June 2019.
• Endwalker released December 2021, 2.5 years later.
• Dawntrail released July 2024, 2.5 years later.
• Logic is thus 8.0 is around December 2026 or January 2027.

It wouldn't be like that. I think most have already gotten accustomed to the long patch cycles. There will still be people clutching onto subs for their houses, raids, and many other activities.

Pushing it into 2027 would be too long, period.

Precedent, current patch cycle length, history of the wait getting longer and longer, “Yoshi-P said blah-blah-blah” doesn’t change that.

the moment the director started selling 8.0 as the job adjustment expac, it was too late. also feel like im getting gaslit every time someone starts raving about the so called "enhanced encounter design" shown so far during this expac too. if mechanics coming out slightly faster is all it takes to impress someone then small wonder this game is so cooked.

Anything beyond October 2026 will be an inexcusable failing.

Whilst company execs and investors are blind to the quality issues and sentiments plaguing Dawntrail they will always defer to good old reliable lines on a graph, which will not look too great considering 2027 would be at least an extra 4 months compared to pre-dawntrail numbers.

Ten years would be too long.