Final Fantasy XIV PvP Guide

PvP in Final Fantasy XIV has gone through a number of changes over the years, introducing new modes and removing others, adding new maps and completely revamping how each Job plays. In our Final Fantasy XIV PvP Guide, we’ll go over how to get into PvP with Endwalker, and some of the things you need to know.

Final Fantasy XIV PvP Basics

Before even being able to access Final Fantasy XIV PvP, there are a few requirements that must be met. For starters, you must have a paid Final Fantasy XIV account. This means that you own (at least) the Starter Edition of the game. Trial accounts cannot access PvP content at all, as a countermeasure against bots.

Furthermore, you must be part of a Grand Company. This is something that you’ll be able to do once you reach the main story quest “A Hero in the Making”. It doesn’t matter which Grand Company you pick for PvP, though it will affect one of the initial quests you need to do. After this, you’ll gain access to the quest “A Pup No Longer” at your selected Grand Company once you hit level 30:

• Maelstrom - Limsa Lominsa - Upper Decks X:13.1, Y:12.8
• Twin Adder - New Gridania X:9.7, Y:11.1
• Immortal Flames - Ul'dah - Steps of Nald X:8.4, Y:8.9

With this quest accepted, head to the bottom part of Lower La Noscea, where an NPC in Moraby Drydocks will allow you to head to the Wolves' Den Pier. This acts as the main hub for unlocking new PvP modes, setting up your skills, and buying certain rewards. “A Pup No Longer” also unlocks the 5v5 mode Crystalline Conflict.

To unlock the other main modes, you’ll have to take two more short sidequests. Heading back to your Grand Company will let you take “Like Civilized Men and Women” which unlocks Frontline, while “Earning Your Wings” in Wolves’ Den Pier will unlock Rival Wings.

Final Fantasy XIV PvP Job Actions

Jobs in Final Fantasy XIV have access to a separate set of actions compared to PvE, which will only be available while in Wolves' Den Pier or a PvP match. These actions can be viewed via the “Character, PvP Profile” menu options, then selecting the Job tab. PvP Actions can be split into 3 categories:

• Combos - Combos are multiple weaponskills tied to a single button in a set order.
• Actions - These are weaponskills and abilities separate from your combo.
• Limit Breaks - Unlike PvE, Limit Breaks in PvP are not shared across the entire party. Each Job also has its own unique Limit Break (Summoner even has access to two different ones).

Make sure that you have all of your PvP Actions set before going into any PvP mode — if you've played PvP before Endwalker, you might have to remove a bunch of now-useless skills from your hotbar. You’ll also want to add a mount and the Return skill to your hotbar as well if you’re planning on doing Frontlines or Rival Wings.

Final Fantasy XIV Crystalline Conflict

Crystalline Conflict pits two teams of five against each other, as they attempt to push a crystal to the opponent's side. Unlike the larger scale PvP modes, there is no way to queue up for Crystalline Conflict with a party at this time. Maps can also not be selected, though you can see the current map selection via the Crystalline Conflict description in the Duty Finder — maps rotate every one and a half hours realtime.

The crystal that acts as the objective will start in the center of the map, and will be locked for the first 30 seconds. After this initial timer, the crystal can be moved by having at least one person in your team stand within the circle marker. The crystal will only move if one team is occupying this space, otherwise it will stay still.

Also of note are the checkpoints, which will keep the crystal in place. The crystal must be kept in your possession until the checkpoint is cleared, the time needed being smaller if you have more players inside the checkpoint. Once the checkpoint is cleared, it will not return for the rest of the match.

One team wins by reaching the opponent’s final checkpoint which acts as a goal, or having made more progress once time runs out. Progress for both sides can be seen at the top of screen, indicating the crystal’s position, the furthest it reached on both sides, and the percentage completion of checkpoints.

Final Fantasy XIV Frontline

Frontline is a three team PvP mode where players aim to defeat players on the opposing team and deal with each specific map’s objectives. Each team is made up of three parties of eight players, leading to a maximum of 72 players per match. It’s possible to join matches in progress if a player has left, though this generally only happens during the first minute of an ongoing match.

Regardless of which map is currently being run for frontlines, it is possible to score points for your team by defeating enemy players. This will also decrease the points of the team the defeated player belonged to. Because of this, it’s often worth being aggressive, staying with your team to take down weaker enemies or stragglers.

Another benefit to playing aggressively is the Battle High mechanic, which gives you benefits for defeating players. As you score knockouts or assists, the Battle High meter will fill, granting increased damage and healing every 20 points. At Battle High V (reached once the meter is at 100), you’ll be doing a hefty 50% extra damage. Dying will half the meter, so getting kills and getting away safely is the way to go.

The rest of the goals for each Frontline match depend on which map you’re currently on:

The Borderland Ruins (Secure)

Borderland Ruins is made up of 6 outposts, marked by circles on the map. Standing next to an outpost’s flag will capture it, with more players in the capture area speeding up the process. When your team has captured an outpost, it will slowly generate points over time. You’ll always want to make sure the outpost next to your base is captured, before alternating to the other two that are close by. Stick with your team, and fall back if your team is losing ground.

Periodically, nodes will spawn in the center of the map. These will be shown on the map before they spawn, so head up one of the ramps into the center when they show up. Killing the nodes will give a good amount of points depending on how much damage you deal to them. This is also a good time to take down players from the currently winning team, though it’s not worth staying around for too long. When 10 minutes are left, a larger node will spawn after the small ones, which is worth more points.

Seal Rock (Seize)

Nodes will spawn periodically, coming in three ranks: B, A, and S in ascending order. Interacting with one when it spawns will capture it after a time (you only need one person to capture these nodes). Once captured, the node will generate points for your team until it disappears. The amount a node has left is represented by a percentage, shown when you hover over its icon on the map.

Nodes can be recaptured by a different team, so you generally want to protect them unless you see an opportunity to grab more (i.e. both other teams are busy fighting). It’s also best to focus on node rankings — an S rank node will be worth much more than a few B ranks.

The Fields of Glory (Shatter)

Each team starts with a base near their spawn, which can be captured to slowly generate points. However, the main method to get points is to destroy crystals that spawn on the map. Unlike other modes, the nodes that can spawn will always be shown on the map with gray icons. These will then be highlighted when about to spawn, before showing their full icons once spawned.

The amount of points you get from a destroyed crystal is determined by how much damage your team did to it. Crystals also come in small and large variants, with the latter giving a lot more points when destroyed. It’s usually best to go for large crystals when they’re about to spawn, moving back to the center of the map when no crystals are currently available.

Onsal Hakair (Danshig Naadam)

Nodes on this map are ovoos, small capture sites that can be interacted with once spawned to capture them for your team. Only one person needs to interact with them to capture, and they cannot be recaptured by another team afterwards. After being captured, they will generate points for your team before disappearing. Ovoos are split into three ranks: B (blue triangle), A (red diamond), S (yellow pentagon) in ascending order. Higher ranks means more points when captured.