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

[Lauront]

So, I've been thinking - and replaying FFIX - and I'm starting to draw some parallels between Kuja and Fandaniel. Obviously things won't play out in exactly the same way but...

- Both of them have a strong focus on the concept of dying.
- Both of them want everybody else to die.
- Both of them are 'incomplete' and lash out at their respective 'Master'. In Kuja's case, it's Garland. In Fandaniel's case it's the Unsundered Ascians.
- Both of them are very theatrical in terms of their mannerisms.
- Both of them have a dragon as a companion/pet.

So, I'm tentatively speculating that we may see 6.0 involve heavy IX themes and inspiration. The game had a very whimsical fantasy style to it not unlike what we see of Sharlayan, too.

Really hope so. I've long thought Sharlayan would be perfect for incorporating elements from IX, due to the style of the dungeons we got linked to the Dravanian colony, so successful use of inspiration from IX would be fantastic.

[WhiteArchmage]

So, I've been thinking - and replaying FFIX - and I'm starting to draw some parallels between Kuja and Fandaniel. Obviously things won't play out in exactly the same way but...

- Both of them have a strong focus on the concept of dying.
- Both of them want everybody else to die.
- Both of them are 'incomplete' and lash out at their respective 'Master'. In Kuja's case, it's Garland. In Fandaniel's case it's the Unsundered Ascians.
- Both of them are very theatrical in terms of their mannerisms.
- Both of them have a dragon as a companion/pet.

So, I'm tentatively speculating that we may see 6.0 involve heavy IX themes and inspiration. The game had a very whimsical fantasy style to it not unlike what we see of Sharlayan, too.

Hmm, IX also had a lot of steampunk themes and aestethics to it, not to mention actually high-tech with Terra. The technological advancements would fit with Garlemald itself. Plus, Kuja also worked on destabilizing a Nation from within by having the ear of its leader. Although in Kuja's case he HELPED Alexandria until it was no longer useful, while Fandaniel seems to have come in DURING the period of unrest and just furthered it.

[FrightfulNight]

I think the two biggest contenders right now are Sharlyan and Garlemald (or more specifically the continent Islabard). This might be a case where SE just does both. I know a lot of people do not like this idea because it draws comparisons to SB which had the weakest story of the expansions, but i feel it might be done better justice here, Namely because this is the season 1 storyline finale and I feel you need both for it to feel like a finale.

I imagine Sharlyan will be the hub city but as we have discussed it is a small island nation with not much room for exploration zones so I imagine the Exploration zones will be in Islabard or at the very least Sharlyan may have 1 with most of the rest still being in Islabard. Despite mostly being relegated to a hub city i imagine it will have more of the prominence of Ishgard in the story instead of Kugane, being a place you return to repeatedly throughout the story, and perhaps even offering a way through teleportation magick into Islabard.

The Garlean capitol may function similar to Eulmore, a hostile city for most of the Expansion that then serves as an endgame hub but has the repair feature throughout the expansion like Idylshire. It would be weird if we still do not go there seeing as they have already laid the ground work in some of the cutscenes.

Then of course I imagine the final mystery zone being the moon. Or alternately the final mystery zone could be some underground zone like the original Eureka with the intention of using something to follow Zenos and Fandaniel to the moon to stop them from trying to absorb Zodiark (which hopefully fails and just awakens him for the final trial) with the moon being a dungeon and the site for either the trials or raid series. This way it truly feels like the season 1 finale like 5.3 suggested and that includes wrapping up most major season 1 plotlines.

While it is the end of the Hydalyn/Zodiark storyline Yoshi P. said he was also leading the Garlemald storyline to its conclusion as well and that SB was the beginning of that. This also will allow them time to work on any graphical changes, or more time between 6.0 and 7.0. Then when 7.0 hits we can have a whole new story arch and new antagonists, something Yoshi P. has stated he wanted to do for a while now.

I do think we can safely rule out Meracydia at this point as there has been no hints whatsoever in 5.4 or in any recent storylines at all really that would point toward it. I imagine with its more mysterious setting it will be saved for Season 2.

[EdwinLi]

Well if speculations are true then we should expect to finally confirm what is the next locations on February 5th just 2 weeks from now.

[Seraphor]

Well if speculations are true then we should expect to finally confirm what is the next locations on February 5th just 2 weeks from now.

When Shadowbringers was announced, we didn't know we were going to the First until the third Fanfest. The locations shown were assumed to be in the Source, and the Crystal Tower was only shown for a split second off in the distance of what we thought was a flashback.

When Stormblood was announced, we only got half the trailer, set in Gyr Abania, so we didn't know about Othard until the second? Fanfest.

[Kesey]

When Shadowbringers was announced, we didn't know we were going to the First until the third Fanfest. The locations shown were assumed to be in the Source, and the Crystal Tower was only shown for a split second off in the distance of what we thought was a flashback.

When Stormblood was announced, we only got half the trailer, set in Gyr Abania, so we didn't know about Othard until the second? Fanfest.

These are good points, but if Covid had not canceled the original fanfests, we would have already had two of the three fanfests completed with some information in our hands.

Seeing how everything has been reduced to the this one digital fanfest, we can assume we will get all the information regarding the expansion they are willing to reveal at fanfest in one go. So new classes, new systems, the area of the next expansion, as well as a trailer are all on the table.

[Fenral]

Maybe it's just because PSO2 Episode 6 hit global and I've been fighting the Photoner Armada way too much lately but... I woke up early today with a really stupid thought in my head.

The Crystal Tower is a literal "beacon" of hope.

Reactivating it on the Source will call back the Allagan fleet, and give them something they can lock onto in order to return. They weren't necessarily warp-capable before, but it's been long enough that they could have developed it.

This seems to tick all the boxes: Salina's wish, Doga and Unei's "destiny" speech, our recent field trip to Azys Lla, and most importantly: the friendly reminder that G'raha's royal blood still has a timer. Also, it would give us a way to the moon.

[Seraphor]

These are good points, but if Covid had not canceled the original fanfests, we would have already had two of the three fanfests completed with some information in our hands.

Seeing how everything has been reduced to the this one digital fanfest, we can assume we will get all the information regarding the expansion they are willing to reveal at fanfest in one go. So new classes, new systems, the area of the next expansion, as well as a trailer are all on the table.

Nah, we're getting two reveal events, this one, and one in May.
Considering that they're running a static 2 months behind their usual schedule, this is like 1.5 Fanfests. We might get more than we usually would in a 1st Fanfest, but we're not getting everything and they're gonna want to save some significant reveals to May.

We might be getting another dual zone expansion like SB (Sharlayan and Garlemald for example) and so we'll likely only see one of those, and will have no confirmation of the other one until May.
Probably only get one Job reveal as well.

[Erendis]

When did they announce this May event? I see people mentioning it but there was nothing about it in last PLL as far as I can tell from translations.

Omg! 1111th post!

[Seraphor]

When did they announce this May event? I see people mentioning it but there was nothing about it in last PLL as far as I can tell from translations.

Omg! 1111th post!

When they first announced the February and May livestream events. I don't remember which PLL that was but I watched it live.
I think they even implied the May event would be the bigger one.