Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail early access launch turned a 10-year-old raid encounter into a bugged MMO super boss, but the community rallied to beat it anyway

GamesJRPGFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy XIVFinal Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail early access launch turned a 10-year-old raid encounter into a bugged MMO super boss, but the community rallied to beat it anywayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesJRPGFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy XIVFinal Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail early access launch turned a 10-year-old raid encounter into a bugged MMO super boss, but the community rallied to beat it anywayWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Square Enix) While the launch of a new Final Fantasy 14 expansion typically kicks up a lot of familiar talking points, it’s the random and unexpected stuff that I enjoy the most. Sitting around in a queue for Endwalker and seeing people lose it over someaudacious low-poly grapesmade me all the keener to see them for myself. This time around, the star of the show is a 10-year-old raid that Dawntrail broke. Not that it matters to the scores of players who have collectively gone, ‘I reckon I could still take Amon, bug buffed or not.’ And so they did! Back in the old days of A Realm Reborn,Square Enixintroduced a then-optional trio of raids known as the Crystal Tower series. The second of those, Syrcus Tower, ends with a boss called Amon, who has seemingly decided they’ve had enough of being bullied over the past 10 years. Once a relatively easy encounter, the raid boss is now a menace. Typically, when you fight Amon, he casts a spell called ‘Curtain Call’ that is an instant knockout if you don’t hide behind three players who become frozen into ice cubes. Now, players are still frozen, but no ice blocks are appearing, leaving everyone forced to take a big ol' L. amon after dying over 32 million times become enlightened and came to a realization that he can just stop making ice boulders blocking his curtain calls #ffxiv pic.twitter.com/RaoJF7QODpJune 28, 2024 amon after dying over 32 million times become enlightened and came to a realization that he can just stop making ice boulders blocking his curtain calls #ffxiv pic.twitter.com/RaoJF7QODpJune 28, 2024 Square Enix has sinceacknowledgedandfixedthe error, but only after many Final Fantasy 14 fans managed to find a way to beat Amon despite his buggy state. One popular method involved having a healer fall before the big moment – you have to accept a resurrection from another player so it can be timed to avoid the Curtain Call. Naturally, one healer can’t do the work of 24 players, so the next step is using a level three Limit Break to revive the entire party. It’s fidgety, but it can work. Other popular strategies involve using food buffs to simply bully Amon into the dirt before he can cast Curtain Call or simply just avoiding the raid altogether if you’re doing an Alliance Raid as part of your daily roulettes. Both are effective options, to be fair. Much like Endwalker’s low-poly grapes, buff Amon is also gone but wasenjoyedfor thebrief stinthe played in the MMO all the same. Final Fantasy 14 is designed to give fans plenty to enjoy, though I always enjoy the community’s ability to make something memorable out of the unintended. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Speaking of highlights, eating pizza as a certain race in Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail can lead to horrible (and hilarious) spaghettification. 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insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat"2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses"3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist"4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands"5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 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strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 1 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 2 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 3 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 4 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place” 5 Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”