Heavensward is the first expansion for the critically acclaimed MMORPG that is Final Fantasy 14, and it’s absolutely free for new players right now. Yep, you don’t need to pay a penny for one of the best expansions in recent memory. It’s a brilliant time, telling a deep, fascinating story that matches the best of prestige fantasy.
But for those on the warpath to Endwalker, exactly how long does it take to beat the game’s first expansion? The Dragonsong War is a huge undertaking, so let’s find out.
Much like the base game, Heavenward is far more than just the main scenario quest that encapsulates its most important narrative beats. There are side activities, raid content, and patch quests to take into account - much of which will need to be conquered before you can move onto Stormblood and beyond. We’ve done the research and have some decent estimates to help you manage your gaming time.
How long is Heavenward – What Does It Take To Beat Final Fantasy 14’s first expansion?
Firstly, let’s break down the pure numbers. Heavensward has a total of 138 quests, 45 of which are found at Level 60, so you’ll need to take grinding into account if not enough experience is gained simply by progressing through the story. This grind is far more generous than it used to be, so with a couple of extra dungeon runs you should be more than ready to take on whatever is thrown at you.
This is less than half of the quests found in A Realm Reborn, and the narrative unfolds at a far more digestible pace than the base game, even with recent changes made by Square Enix to make it more approachable to newcomers. In terms of raw hours, Heavensward should take you somewhere between 70 - 80 hours if you focus on the main scenario, read all dialogue, and watch all the cutscenes. We aren’t about skipping valuable story content here at TheGamer.
If you want to take time to explore side activities and truly bask in the new explorable zones, we'd add a healthy amount of hours onto the above estimate. Much like A Realm Reborn, you could always buy a story skip and enjoy the narrative in the future thanks to New Game+, but you will be missing out on experiencing it all for yourself in the way Square Enix intended. Still, the option is there if you want it.