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

[FrightfulNight]

Part of me is actually wondering if we're going to the Thirteenth. A voidsent-looking Bahamut, void or Mhach towers, apparently there will be a quest requiring beating both the Warring Triad and the role quests meaning it's probably Unukalhai and Cylvia reuniting.

I don't think it's likely, and I don't think they would do another Shard expansion right after one, but there is a part of me that wonders.

I think it is highly unlikely for this next expansion, i just do not see them doing it right after ShB, it would be to similar, also unlike the first which was nearly consumed by the flood but was able be spared that fate, the Thirteenth was Completely consumed, that's why it is called the void, not even the Ascians could use it for a rejoining, there may be a way to use Eden to undue some of it and cause it to rejoin with the source, but even if the darkness was removed, it would still be devoid of everything like the Empty, perhaps even worse. I also believe since this is the Hydalyn Zodiark conclusion it will almost assuredly be on the source, the world SE has set up over all these years with the characters we have come to care about for almost a decade now.

[Lauront]

I agree on multiple points but we have still seen no hint what so ever that it will be Meracydia, The chaos in Eorzea will almost assuredly be just the 5.4, and 5.5 patch series since we already have practically explored all of Aldernald, I do think Sharlayan will be the main hub city for the expansion, but right now it seems highly likely that the other zones will be in Islabard, Sharlyan only has its city of note on the map, the rest has less features then Hingashi and we sadly only got to see Kugane there. Islabard meanwhile has some serious plot points going down on it right now, I almost bet that the chaos in Eorzea will be somewhat stabilized in 5.5 and then we will press in to Islabard to stop the even worse chaos that is going on there, and put a stop to Zenos and Fanadiels plan.

Yes, I don't think Meracydia is any likelier than Ilsabard. It's not even appeared on a map yet. People did interpret Yoshi's comments in an interview to replay HW as a potential nod to Meracydia but I don't really consider there to be any strong rationale as yet. It's just a "maybe". Both Ilsabard and Meracydia are mostly shrouded in mystery.

[FrightfulNight]

Yes, I don't think Meracydia is any likelier than Ilsabard. It's not even appeared on a map yet. People did interpret Yoshi's comments in an interview to replay HW as a potential nod to Meracydia but I don't really consider there to be any strong rationale as yet. It's just a "maybe". Both Ilsabard and Meracydia are mostly shrouded in mystery.

Except Islabard has known civilizations that are existing right now at the moment, I have heard of nothing from Meracydia that was not from before the Third Umbral Calamity. More importantly there are important things going on in Islabard Right now, in fact there have been for some time now, but especially now with the Civil war, and Zenos taking the throne. Also looking back at the trailer, I realized that parts of the capitol being reduced to rubble may be Lyse catching the Scions up with modern events since they were whisked away to the first, and may in fact refer to the civil war as it was shown to be in flames during the 5.1 cutscene, and not Zenos or Fanadiel performing a ritual, as from what I gathered from the 5.3 dialogue they still need the Empire for their plan at the moment. Plus this would make sense from an information traveling perspective as it would take some time for news something like this to travel where as there has been enough time for early reports of the devastation the civil war has caused to reach the alliance.

To be honest I will be very disappointed if it is not Islabard because the story has been pointing there for 2 expansions now and if it is not this expansion then it may be next expansion which will just in my eyes feeling like it is dragging out the inevitable, in fact at the moment in no way can i defend it being anything else but Islabard. Islabard has the most flags where as there has been no signs whatsoever pointing to Meracydia which is at the moment a wasteland, I don't doubt that we will go there one day I just imagine it will be a time travel expansion or using the echo to witness it when during the time of the Meracydian/Alagan war which much like i do not see us doing a void expansion after just getting back to the source, I do not see us doing a time travel expansion right after a shard hopping expansion, it will almost assuredly be set on the source during modern times. I do see us going to the Sharlyan motherland in 6.0 however, I just imagine given it's size it might just be a hub city like Kugane with the prominence of Ishgard, and maybe one zone like the Western Highlands in HW, and the rest will be Islabard where important things are happening, with maybe the final mystery zone being the moon. But even looking at the map one cannot deny the prominence that Islabard and Garlemald has on it, in fact the mist screams endgame area, and since this is the finale of the Hydalyn/Zodiark story what better way to cap it off but to finally remove the mists and go right into enemy territory.

[TheMightyMollusk]

My current theory is that, once we're done with the Void towers in Eorzea, we'll have to venture into Garlemald to find where they're being made, culminating in going from the Capital to the Void for our final zone/level 90 trial to cut it off at the source.

[ADVSS]

My current theory is that, once we're done with the Void towers in Eorzea, we'll have to venture into Garlemald to find where they're being made, culminating in going from the Capital to the Void for our final zone/level 90 trial to cut it off at the source.

When i saw those i thought of that portion in the azim steppe where we had to work with that allagan barrier tower to keep the garleans at bay, or something. Been a while so memory is fuzzy

[FrightfulNight]

My current theory is that, once we're done with the Void towers in Eorzea, we'll have to venture into Garlemald to find where they're being made, culminating in going from the Capital to the Void for our final zone/level 90 trial to cut it off at the source.

I too feel and hope it would be like this, as the 5.4 and 5.5 series would deal with stopping these towers in home territory before finding out that there are even worse things going down in Islabard forcing the player to venture there to save the people from all the chaos and the world as well as put a stop to Zenos and Fanadiel's plan once and for all. I however feel the final zone will be the moon instead of the void as Yoshi P. said 6.0's theme would deal with the moon in some capacity. or who knows maybe the moon is just where the dungeon and trial take place and maybe some post release content like a raid series or trial.

[Veloran]

I think it is highly unlikely for this next expansion, i just do not see them doing it right after ShB, it would be to similar, also unlike the first which was nearly consumed by the flood but was able be spared that fate, the Thirteenth was Completely consumed, that's why it is called the void, not even the Ascians could use it for a rejoining, there may be a way to use Eden to undue some of it and cause it to rejoin with the source, but even if the darkness was removed, it would still be devoid of everything like the Empty, perhaps even worse. I also believe since this is the Hydalyn Zodiark conclusion it will almost assuredly be on the source, the world SE has set up over all these years with the characters we have come to care about for almost a decade now.

There are Voidsent in the Void. They could in theory fufill the roles of NPCs in a Void expansion. And as it is they kind of need to be expanded upon.

[FrightfulNight]

There are Voidsent in the Void. They could in theory fufill the roles of NPCs in a Void expansion. And as it is they kind of need to be expanded upon.

I understand, despite being similar they certainly have exhibited more intelligence (look at Saints wake events and Void Ark raid series) then their light counterparts on the first (excluding Innocence) most likely due to the circumstances of their creation as once great heroes corrupted by Auricite infused with primals, we might get this expansion in the near future, i just do not see it being this expansion, like i said it would be to similar to ShB, with going to another Shard to restore it, there is also the fact that i imagine it does not have many diverse environments, and since this is the Finale of the Season 1 story arch, Then it Needs to take place on the Source in Modern Times, as it is the world where we have become the most invested for nearly a decade.

[Kesey]

There are Voidsent in the Void. They could in theory fufill the roles of NPCs in a Void expansion. And as it is they kind of need to be expanded upon.

I'd be willing to bet all the void stuff in 5.4 will be related to Eden.

[WhiteArchmage]

Very out of the left field and EXTREMELY unlikely but: It would be INTERESTING if the Empire "fell" in 5.5/55 and the fallout of that became the driving plot of 6.0. Esentially diving into a Civil War between the Optimates and the Populares. Said instability would allow us to explore Ilsabard, since the conquered nations would use the opportunity to liberate themselves (hopefully offscreen, so as to not rehash Stormblood's plot and fuel a "everyone is useless without the WoL" thing).

I'd GUESS the cause would be our very public defeat of Zenos (AGAIN, and hopefully for good), leading Fandaniel to lead the Optimates in the ensuing chaos, with Maxima FINALLY getting something to do as he rejoins the Populares (and, perhaps, rebuild the Empire as the Garlean Alliance, letting the nations that actually flourished under Garlean rule rejoind under their own rules).