FFXIV 2026 Fan Fest keynote recap: Evercold, Evangelion and everything announced

At FFXIV’s first 2026 Fan Fest, Naoki Yoshida unveiled major 8.0-era plans under the Evercold banner.

Highlights include an Evangelion-themed alliance raid, a free trial extended through patch 5.5, and a new weekly activity-based progression model.

Square Enix also teased broader character customization, system updates, and other quality-of-life changes for the game’s post-Dawntrail future.

More details on these changes are expected in the coming months.