A large part of the community genuinely enjoyed Eureka- and Bozja-style content. Occult Crescent was explicitly presented as a return to that design philosophy, yet in practice it feels like a complete bait-and-switch. There are no CLL- or Dalriada-style critical engagements, no duels, and no meaningful items to farm for relic progression. Instead, relics have once again been reduced to “just buy them with tomestones,” exactly like in Endwalker. Worse still, the second relic step doesn’t even require entering OC at all—just run roulettes and collect tomestones. That doesn’t just miss the point; it actively undermines it.

Relics were never meant to be passive rewards. ARR and Heavensward relics certainly had flaws and were often criticized for being tedious, and those criticisms were fair. But instead of scrapping the concept, Square Enix evolved it with Eureka and then significantly improved it with Bozja. Those systems offered long-term goals, dedicated zones, and progression that actually mattered. Players spent hundreds of hours there not out of obligation, but because the content gave relics real weight.

Yes, some players dislike Eureka- or Bozja-style content. Bozja already solved that problem with a reasonable compromise: you could progress relics outside the zone if you wanted, but doing so inside was faster, more engaging, and clearly the intended path. Turning relics into pure tomestone purchases is not a compromise—it’s a complete erasure of relic identity, and a slap in the face to players who enjoy relic-focused gameplay.

Imagine Square Enix announcing: “To help players who dislike Savage, you can now either clear Savage raids for Savage gear, or simply buy the gear and mounts for 1500 tomestones.” The backlash would be immediate and overwhelming. Yet this exact logic is being applied to relics, apparently without concern.

If you don’t enjoy Savage, the game already provides alternatives: capped tomestone gear and crafted sets. Savage rewards are reserved for those who engage with Savage content. Relics should follow the same principle. No one is forced to obtain a relic, and there is no design justification for making them effectively free.

Since Endwalker, Square Enix seems increasingly committed to removing long-term engagement for non-casual players. Savage and even Ultimate content is cleared at record speed—often within days—after which it becomes a brief weekly routine. Combined with extended patch cycles, this leaves large gaps with nothing meaningful to work toward. Stripping relics of their depth only makes that problem worse.