Thread: Patch 6.6?

Definitely not a patch 6.6. .0 .1 .2 .3 .4 .5 .6 are all "major releases, with .0 being the expansion itself. These are MSQ and new gear/savage/tomes tier (even releases) and 24-man (odd releases). If 6.6 comes out, we'd see more MSQ and another gear tier to keep with the release nomenclature they've followed since ARR. That's not to say we won't see 6.55, 6.56, 6.57... 6.59 instead.

SE is very formulaic with their content release. They haven't strayed before and I doubt they will now. If the expansion is released late (by our perception) then it will be released late. That's all their is to it.

Originally Posted by DiaDeem

We've never had X.6

Next xpac should be announced during FanFest in Vegas and then drop in January.

Or not, we'll see.

JP fanfest isn't until Jan 7/8 2024. 7.0 expac will def not drop before then, nor even in the month of Jan 2024. I think they will want to try to get back to a summer release for it but that may be too far away. we'll know the approx drop date tho right away at NA fanfest.

Originally Posted by DrWho2010

JP fanfest isn't until Jan 7/8 2024. 7.0 expac will def not drop before then, nor even in the month of Jan 2024. I think they will want to try to get back to a summer release for it but that may be too far away. we'll know the approx drop date tho right away at NA fanfest.

I'd be surprised if they were to aim for a Summer release. That'd put a possible 8 month gap between patch 6.55 and 7.0. Even the content drought of patch 5.55 to 6.0 wasn't that long, at just over 6 months. I'd expect them to save any specific release dates for the 2nd Fan Fest, as they've done with Stormblood and Shadowbringers in their respective Fan Fest years (Endwalker being an outlier due to all three Fan Fests being merged into one).

Originally Posted by DrWho2010

JP fanfest isn't until Jan 7/8 2024. 7.0 expac will def not drop before then, nor even in the month of Jan 2024. I think they will want to try to get back to a summer release for it but that may be too far away. we'll know the approx drop date tho right away at NA fanfest.

Vegas has always traditionally been the one they use for important announcements. They could still definitely drop the xpac before the JP Fanfest. The real issue is that this is the first set of Fanfest events in person after the pandemic, so we don't know what the new plans look like now. Endwalker got pushed back to December in 2021, so it would make sense if 7.0 dropped in January, if they stick to the 2 year release schedule they had up until the pandemic hit, but we don't really know if they'd delay it after JP Fanfest. I hope they don't, but if they do, we're probably looking at a March release. Anything beyond that is way too late. XVI is also wrapping up, so I'd expect them to try go back to a more constant schedule, but again: we'll see.

Originally Posted by DiaDeem

Vegas has always traditionally been the one they use for important announcements. They could still definitely drop the xpac before the JP Fanfest. The real issue is that this is the first set of Fanfest events in person after the pandemic, so we don't know what the new plans look like now. Endwalker got pushed back to December in 2021, so it would make sense if 7.0 dropped in January, if they stick to the 2 year release schedule they had up until the pandemic hit, but we don't really know if they'd delay it after JP Fanfest. I hope they don't, but if they do, we're probably looking at a March release. Anything beyond that is way too late. XVI is also wrapping up, so I'd expect them to try go back to a more constant schedule, but again: we'll see.

There's no such thing as delaying it until after the JP Fan Fest, as they've simply never released an expansion before the last of the three announced Fan Fests has happened. This is because each set of Fan Fests is built around revealing new expansion info at each event. To use expansion/job reveals as an example of this:

2014: Heavensward reveal in Las Vegas, Dark Knight reveal in London, Machinist reveal in Tokyo.
2016-2017: Stormblood reveal in Las Vegas, Red Mage reveal in Tokyo, Samurai reveal in London
2018-2019: Shadowbringers reveal in Las Vegas, Gunbreaker reveal in London, Dancer reveal in Tokyo.

Originally Posted by DiaDeem

Vegas has always traditionally been the one they use for important announcements. They could still definitely drop the xpac before the JP Fanfest. The real issue is that this is the first set of Fanfest events in person after the pandemic, so we don't know what the new plans look like now. Endwalker got pushed back to December in 2021, so it would make sense if 7.0 dropped in January, if they stick to the 2 year release schedule they had up until the pandemic hit, but we don't really know if they'd delay it after JP Fanfest. I hope they don't, but if they do, we're probably looking at a March release. Anything beyond that is way too late. XVI is also wrapping up, so I'd expect them to try go back to a more constant schedule, but again: we'll see.

All 3 fanfests are build up for the expansion. Japan fanfest is where they will reveal full trailer. Then you also have media tour and other hype events. We're looking at March at absolute earliest. I wouldn't be surprised if they push back to May/June just to get back to a summer expansion release. If they do that, we're looking at one heck of a content draught.

Originally Posted by Hyperia

While I was looking at the release schedule and considering that we are not in a traditional patch cycle, I am wondering if SE will have a patch 6.6 to fill in the extra time gap and give them an extra hour of MSQ time to better prep for 7.0.

My estimates:
Patch 6.4 - May 23rd, 2023
Patch 6.5 - Sept 12th, 2023
Patch 6.6 - Jan 16th, 2024
Release 7.0 - May 9th, 2024

I am projecting May 9th as SE's fiscal Q1 for 2024 starts in April and May 9th would be approximately 4 months from my projected 6.5's release date. I know this is all speculation, but the numbers line up and having a patch 6.6 would prevent us from having an 8-month content gap from the last MSQ patch to 7.0 release.

What are your thoughts?

Oh we are 100% getting a 8 month patch.

This is square enix we are talking about. if anything they are consistent on their disappointing releases of content.

6.5 will drop, 4 months later we will get 6.55, then 4 months of nothing until 7.0