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FF14 glamours get a huge upgrade with Dawntrail’s two dye system

As FF14 Dawntrail gets closer, director Naoki Yoshida shares a new, updated look at the two dye system for glamours in the next expansion.

FF14 glamours get an upgrade with Dawntrail's two dye slots - Alisaie Leveilleur, a white-haired Elezen woman wearing a red jacket and holding a green fruit.

FF14 glamours have always been the true endgame of the critically acclaimed MMORPG, as any player worth their gil can tell you. Therefore, it’s not too surprising that one of the most highly anticipated parts of the FF14 Dawntrail expansion arriving in the summer is its graphics update, and more specifically the new two dye channels you’ll have access to. That’s right; no longer will promising items of clothing be tossed aside at the realization you can only recolor one minor part. A whole new world of fashion awaits, and I’m so excited.

Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest Tokyo is ongoing, and among all the new details we got an extended look at the Dawntrail graphics update that’s set to give the decade-old MMORPG a welcome visual boost in patch 7.0. Game director Naoki Yoshida, or ‘Yoshi-P’ to the community, took his time to go over the tweaks to each of the races, noting their smoother features and improved range of skin tones, before turning his attention to what we can expect from the two dye glamour system when the FF14 Dawntrail release date arrives.

FF14 Dawntrail glamour system - A demonstration of the second dye slot for a suit of metal plate armor with a cloth cape.

First unveiled during FF14 Fan Fest Las Vegas to the loudest crowd response at the event, the addition of a second dye slot is a massive overhaul to the potential of dyes. Yoshida says it may take a while for every item to get upgrades, with the more popular glamours taking priority, and that “we may not be able to apply this to certain housing items, ones that are particularly difficult, but we will try to apply it to as much gear as we possibly can.”

Seeing the examples shown during the ongoing Fan Fest Tokyo event, it’s immediately striking what a dramatic difference this can make. A full set of silver-colored metal plate armor is shown, where previously only the cape and small sections of fabric could be altered. With the new system, you can adjust the color of the metal itself, creating some striking golden armor that’s even more impressive with the added polish of the graphics update.

FF14 Dawntrail glamour system - A demonstration of the second dye slot for a set of leather armor worn over a fabric undershirt.

Some of the other gear shown was already able to be more dramatically recolored, with its preexisting dye slot affecting a substantial part of the gear’s coloring. Nevertheless, the ability to, for example, pair black leather overclothes with crimson fabrics rather than white makes for a very different look.

In a third demonstration, Yoshida shows that there will still be some parts of certain gear that can’t be colored. While both the dress and the main part of the outer clothing can be dyed, the button colors on the dress and the central leather piece across the top retain their default looks.

FF14 Dawntrail glamour system - A demonstration of the second dye slot for a light summer dress with a sleeveless leather gilet worn over the top.

“This is a limitation we’ll still have when creating gear with the two dye channels,” Yoshida explains, “You’ll just have to trust in the aesthetic sense of our design team to make sure that the right parts are being dyed. But even though we can’t promise that you will be able to dye every single bit, we are doing our best to make sure that we are giving you the best options possible to customize your gear with the greatest amount of service area being dyed. We are working hard on it and we thank you for your patience.”

You can watch the full presentation as part of the Fan Fest Tokyo stream archive below, with the graphics update segment starting at one hour 55 minutes in, and the discussion of the two dye channels kicking off at the 2:19:20 mark.

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For more details from the event, we’ve got a rough window on when we can expect to see the FF16 crossover in FF14, along with a musing from Yoshida on whether the new playable race, the FF14 female Hrothgar, will be the final race added to the MMO.

If you can’t wait until Dawntrail to get back in, the FF14 patch 6.55 release date is just around the corner and promises to offer us our first taste of some of the new story and characters. Alternatively, you might fancy kicking back on your FF14 Island Sanctuary and perfecting your home away from home.

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