FFXIV Updates Raid Rewards System for Improved Fairness

Responding to player feedback, Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.16 will introduce a Clouddark Demimateria exchange system. This update, arriving January 21st, 2025, addresses concerns regarding the acquisition of high-demand items from the Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic) Alliance Raid.

The core change allows players to exchange Clouddark Demimateria 1 for Clouddark Demimateria 2, facilitating purchases of sought-after rewards such as the "A Half Times Two" hairstyle and the "Dais of Darkness" mount. While the exact exchange rate remains unannounced, this adjustment aims to improve accessibility to these items, which currently require a substantial amount of Clouddark Demimateria 2 (49 and 75 respectively). The items are also available on the Market Board, meaning prices are expected to fluctuate post-patch.

The initial Clouddark Demimateria distribution, tied to the December 24th release of the Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic) Alliance Raid, proved unbalanced. This new exchange system directly addresses this imbalance based on community feedback. Square Enix has indicated that further adjustments to the raid reward structure may follow, based on continued player input. This will likely influence future raid content updates planned throughout 2025. Note that Patch 7.16's main focus is the Dawntrail Role Quest series finale, with major job balance updates anticipated in Patch 7.2.