[SPOILERS for 5.5 and 6.0] The Fate of the Garlean Empire

[Garnix]

No more Empire in 6.X. That's why they ended the IVth legion off-screen, just so they can continue the questline in 6.25 without having to tie it to Garlemald anymore.

[YianKutku]

No more Empire in 6.X. That's why they ended the IVth legion off-screen, just so they can continue the questline in 6.25 without having to tie it to Garlemald anymore.

Pedantically, we all agree No More Empire. The Empire is dead, and if it should try to come back to life, we will kill it again and make sure it stays dead.

However, we're all wondering what might become of Garlemald, and I think it's still a good plot point to explore in 6.x and beyond. The default assumption (due to being the simplest) is going back to the Garlean Republic, and rebuilding from there, preferably to a kinder, less expansionist country.

The issue is I'm honestly not sure if there are enough people left to create a new Garlemald. The Populares have been repeatedly said to be purged and nearly wiped out, and the only loophole is that the game hasn't clarified exactly how many survivors there are; it would be very unrealistic to the point of parody if it turned out there were still enough to form a functioning government, thus showing Varis and Fandaniel-as-Asahi to be thoroughly incompetent, but who knows how the writing will justify it. I would be deeply disappointed if political power were to rest in one person yet again, whether Maxima or Gaius or Nerva or whoever, since that would just be a repeat of the Garlean Empire.