What are FFXIV Variant & Criterion Dungeons? New Content in Patch 6.25
Do you remember Final Fantasy XIV‘s Hard dungeons? This concept was first introduced in A Realm Reborn. They were reworked versions of leveling dungeons with more difficult mechanics and continued storylines. This was partially carried over to Heavensward; Stormblood was their own thing. This concept has never been used again.
Dungeons can be done while leveling up and continued in your Duty Roulette. Once you have completed the story, you can continue to repeat the content at the same difficulty level.
However, the FFXIV team has some suggestions for improving this experience. Today’s Live Letter from the Producer revealed the Variant and Criterion Dungeons. The new dungeon content is intended to offer a fresh experience for both casual and hardcore PVE players.
What are Variant Dungeons?
Variant dungeons were previously known as Criterion. These dungeons can be tuned for up to four players and scale with the increase in player count. You can use the Duty Finder to create a party of four. However, you can also run Variant Dungeons with one or two friends. There are no restrictions on roles, and you can change jobs.
The Sil’dihn Subterrane is the first Variant dungeon. While the name implies that the dungeon lies under some area, the single image shows it as a collection of ruins. The name suggests that the dungeon is located in Thanalan.
Yoshida says that players will be running the dungeon alongside a talkative NPC. Variant dungeons are meant to be story-heavy. There are many paths to the dungeon, so you can only experience the whole story if you play through it multiple times.
