As Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail looms, fans gather to wave goodbye to the expansion that ended a 10-year saga

Final Fantasy 14
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 14 players are bidding farewell to Endwalker in the best way they know how: by getting together for big group photos.

Final Fantasy 14 just went offline for Dawntrail maintenance earlier today, June 26, effectively booting everyone out until the new expansion launches into early access later this week, June 28. Basically, none of the MMO's millions and millions of players around the world can play Final Fantasy 14 right now, which is what's led to many bidding farewell to Endwalker, a run of content that started when the MMO's last expansion launched in late 2021.

Below, you can see a sample of Final Fantasy 14 players getting together for huge group photos and shouting "Goodbye Endwalker" in unison. I'd bet good money on Free Companies having come together all at once to commemorate Endwalker's farewell and Dawntrail's imminent launch in some of the screenshots we're seeing just below.

'Goodbye Endwalker' might be trending on Twitter, but there are plenty of posts on the Final Fantasy 14-dedicated subreddit along similar themes. You can see posts from players bidding farewell to the MMO's last expansion just below, except more singular players post their farewell screenshots on the subreddit rather than big groups on Twitter.

My last Sunset in Endwalker from r/ffxiv
Goodnight Endwalker 💜 from r/ffxiv

Heck, there are even cosplayers coming together for big group photos in real life to celebrate the conclusion of Endwalker's lengthy life, like the one just below. I love this photo for many reasons, the backdrop included, but what really takes the cake is the Emet-Selch cosplayer over to the right, flipping off the camera. 

If you're wondering when Dawntrail actually launches later this week, Final Fantasy 14's maintenance should conclude around 2 am PT/5 am ET/10 am BST, if things go according to plan. Keep in mind that Square Enix could delay the maintenance end time based on how the next 36 hours unfold on the development side, so keep an eye on Final Fantasy 14's social channels for more.

Final Fantasy 14's MMO account sign-up process is an "endless labyrinth and rube goldberg machine," and one fan's built a tool to save you from all the hassle.

Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.