Patch 4.1 for Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood just dropped this week and with it came a slew of new features, quality-of-life improvements, changes, quests, and the latest 24-player raid. This new raid is the first part of the Return to Ivalice series of 24-player raids.
Previously, there have been two series of these endgame raids offered for both the baseline A Realm Reborn game at level 50 and the first expansion Heavensward at level 60. Similar to how the Crystal Tower in A Realm Reborn was a return to the familiar fan favorite location from Final Fantasy III, Return to Ivalice is a literal return to Final Fantasy XII.
Coinciding with the return of Ivalice in this past summer’s Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, this first raid brings us back to the royal city of Rabanastre. Longtime XII fans will remember Rabanastre as the royal capital of the small country of Dalmasca, where the game both starts and is home to its main cast.
Rabanastre is also the start of the Return to Ivalice raid series, bringing you inside its desert beaten walls for a 24-player raid that is certain to challenge even the best players. Before we go into what quests you need to do to unlock this long-awaited trial, let’s go over the basics of what you have to already have completed before you can do it.
Return to Ivalice: Rabanastre – Requirements
This being an endgame raid meant for 24 players total, it has some steep but reasonable requirements that must be met before you can dive into the lengthy dungeon. First and foremost, this is a raid meant for those that own Final Fantasy XIV’s second expansion Stormblood, so it goes without saying that you have to own it to access this content.
From there, it is necessary that you be at the current max level of 70 before you can even unlock the necessary quests. Not only that, but you have to have finished the final main story quest in the expansion called “Stormblood.” Even though patch 4.1 does add some new main story quests, you don’t actually have to complete those in order to do the raid.
Lastly, there is an item level requirement that you must meet before you can queue for Return to Ivalice: Rabanastre. That item level is an average of 305 or higher. When you beat Stormblood, your average item level should be around 290 and it’s not a huge gap between the two, but item level increases at a rather slow rate in Stormblood’s endgame.
If you aren’t at 305 just yet, the best ways to get new armor and raise your level is through the duty roulette and the Omega eight-player raid. Duty roulette will give you Tomestones of Verity and Creation that give higher than necessary gear, and Omega grants different items that can also be turned in for high level armor and weapons.
How to Unlock Return to Ivalice: The Royal City of Rabanastre
Once you’ve squared away all of the necessary requirements in order to access Return to Ivalice: Rabanastre, we can get started unlocking the 24-player raid. Here are the steps you will need to take to do so:
- Teleport to Kugane
- From the aetheryte, use the aethernet to teleport to the Kogane Dori Markets
- Speak with Keiten at (X: 12.2, Y:12.3)
- Start quest “Dramatis Personae”
- Complete that short quest
- Start second quest “A City Fallen”
- Watch cutscenes and progress through this short quest
- This will unlock The Royal City of Rabanastre raid
- Complete the raid to complete the quest
- Good luck!
