Patch 6.5/6.55 speculation based on the art work.

[SannaR]

The site for 6.5 has gone live and there isn't much there right now. Mostly due to us only having had the 1st PPL for it. What's interesting to me is that Jullus is part of the artwork. It's nice to see him on there. I just wonder what role he will have to play in the up coming patch. If it will just be him or will Garlemald as a whole have a bigger part. I also wonder why they chose small Varshahn as they haven't shied away from using his more adult form in the artwork before.

[Cleretic]

Reminder that the 5.5 artwork had several characters that did not appear in 5.5. A group floating-heads shot like this doesn't necessarily mean direct relevance given that context.

I think this is reflective of Zero's journey, because it's only characters that she's connected with: note that Urianger, G'raha, Krile, and Thancred, who she only briefly met and barely exchanged words with, are absent despite being basicall a given to turn up at some point in 6.5/.55 to set up Dawntrail. Instead, we have:

• Estinien, who she's been probably living closest to in this time, as well as training with.
• Varshahn, who's been a big part of her acclimatization to Thavnair and her current journey.
• Y'shtola, who gave Zero her name and provided answers to a great many questions.
• Jullus, who was a strong early help to Zero understanding a less transactional way of dealing with the world.
• Alphinaud and Alisaie, who've been providing clear, working examples of how people can cooperate and aid each other.
• And the Warrior of Light, who just won't leave her alone.

This art is essentially Zero's relationship cloud. The only thing it might be missing is Nidhana, who I think has helped her at least as well as Alphinaud has.

[Raikai]

Ït probably because Jullus will be involved in the resolution of whatever (good or bad) that is Zero's fate.

Since it's a bit obvious that Zero isn't coming along in Dawntrail (at least not in the beginning), I'm assuming that if she survives she ends up staying with Jullus in Garlemald.

Edit: Nevermind, the above poster makes a very good point as the artwork being illustrative of Zero's journey.

[Alleluia]

Posting the art here for a better look for those who want it:

And I agree, the characters definitely seem to be there because of their connection to Zero. She's been regaining her humanity the last few story beats, remembering her past and feeling that "flame" burn within her again. And then we see the sun behind her, in a wheat field. And also everyone is smiling at least slightly, except for Zero who is frowning in a determined manner. So it basically says to me she's gonna reap some bad guys while warmed and backed by the power of friendship. lol

And I think smol Vrtra is shown, instead of big or bigger Vrtra, b/c the child form is the one he's been most social with her in. His battle body gets put back into its maintenance pod or w/e the time in between excursions, so when he's been making her feel at home in the city its been as the fun-sized version.


Also, there's kinda of a parallel to the 6.1 art:

Seven figures around the main one, who's walking towards the camera, as light rises behind them. Its probably just for artsy purposes, but still.

[Cleretic]

One thing I think is neat about that art that I haven't seen talked about much anywhere:

That's a wheat field she's in. As in, the sort of place that a farmer actually would use a scythe for reaping.

[Alleluia]

Yeah, definitely brings the thought of reaping to mind.

... Though I wouldn't be opposed to Zero picking up BTN at the end of all this, too. lol

[SannaR]

A field of wheat or reeds has also been used to symbolize the after life in various religions.

[SannaR]

I know this was to be solely speculation based on the key artwork, but this might as well become a general speculation thread. The 6.55 site has gotten more than just the artwork and the interesting thing that has been added is the picture of a party fighting the Dark Elf. Which I'm going to assume has some sort of magnetic part to their fight. As until Edward/Gilbert plays on his end of the twin harp the party can't use metallic weapons as the Dark Elf makes an aura that causes metal to be very heavy. I'm having a hard time thinking of whatever other iconic fights or monsters they haven't already given us either earlier in XIV's lifespan or in 6.0 as the only one that comes to mind is the Giant of Babil. Outside of the rematch with the four fiends. I'm not certain if they're going to do that as I want to say only real Golbez's memoria crystal dropped from Zero. Only two of the four aren't in memoria crystals as well so it'd be odd if they pulled the two that died on the source just to have that fight.

[Cleretic]

The 6.55 site has gotten more than just the artwork and the interesting thing that has been added is the picture of a party fighting the Dark Elf.

For what it's worth, the Dark Elf doesn't have a reskin in the Lunar Subterrane in FFIV, so we're not looking at them just recreating the enemy encounters like they did in, say, Syrcus Tower.

Cracking out the list of FFIV bosses, here are the ones that we haven't somehow seen in XIV, in alphabetical order. Also excepting the several generic dragons, because it'd take a good couple hours to dissect which ones might've been inspirations for random Heavensward enemies or something.

• Asura (but she's probably not gonna be a dungeon boss)
• Baigan
• The CPU of the Giant of Babil, technically; the spherical Allagan nodes are based on it, but we've never fought one based on its gameplay.
• Dark Bahamut
• The four Elemental Archfiends all at once
• The King and Queen of Eblan
• Lunasaur (actually from the Subterrane)
• Ogopogo (also Lunar Subterrane; it was a Leviathan recolor)
• Plague Horror (Lunar Subterrane boss; recolored Ahriman)

If you want to count enemies from the GBA or 3D versions of the game, then we can also count:

• Death Machine (recolor of a Lunar Subterrane enemy they've never used)
• Flan Master
• Geryon
• Gigas Worm
• Proto-Babil
• Zeromus EG, the Zeromus design from the 'easy mode' American version of IV
• Most Lunar primals

It's fair enough to think that the re-release bosses shouldn't factor in, but I think they should be considered since they're actually where the Lunar primals came from! Well, they were Lunar Eidolons, but you get the idea.

So we do incidentally have exactly three bosses from the Lunar Subterrane we've never seen. I don't think they'll all be used, though; Lunasaur's got a unique take on a bone dragon design we've never seen, but the others don't. My guess is actually that the three bosses will be the Dark Elf, Baigan, and either one or both of a pair of fairly striking non-boss enemies from the final floor of the Lunar Subterrane: Zemus' Breath (or just Breath) and Zemus' Malice/Zemus' Mind (or just Mind). That said, Zeromus EG feels like exactly the kind of pull I'd expect the developers to sneak in somewhere.


Also worth adding: the update also added a picture of the Heaven of Water for, most likely, Thaliak's boss fight! Its architecture I'd say is a combination of Nym and Sharlayan elements, which makes complete sense, and there's also a statue of a tonberry, which is either a really cute touch, or showing that the gods have an awful sense of humor.

...although Nym's patron deity was actually Oschon... hmm.

[SannaR]

I didn't include Asura as she's stuck in Fan Fest trial atm. Baigan, CPU and Dark Bahamut (who at least didn't exist in the NA SNES version) IHO weren't fights that stuck in people's heads. Though the Giant of Babil was more of a dungeon than a boss itself. Already mentioned why it would be kind of odd to have the Elemental Fiends rematch and the fight against Edge/Edward's parents would feel kinda strange? Unless we fight against an undead version of Zero's mom or something. But that fight had two ways to end it. Kill them or let them kill themselves. The rest from the original version were skippable bosses and even though they were tough fights you wouldn't find many people mentioning them if you asked them about IV. Zeromus EG might be part of the trial in the 2nd half.

The Heaven of water does look pretty and I swear I got Zanarkand vibes of the city area in the back. Course it could just be the domes and all the water talking. I do wonder how the Heaven of Wind will look like as all we get is giant mountain top that looks over an endless sea ruled by Llymlaen.