The Island Sanctuary is one of the many activities in Final Fantasy XIV that becomes available to players upon completion of the latest expansion, Endwalker. Building on the islands, which were introduced in Patch 6.2, new content coming on May 23 will expand upon what players can do in their private paradise.
Almost every aspect of the Island Sanctuary has received new additions, giving players new milestones to reach and more customization options to fashion their islands in one-of-a-kind ways.
Additions and adjustments made to Island Sanctuaries in Patch 6.4
- The maximum sanctuary rank has been raised to 16.
- A new gathering area has been added to the wilds.
- New gathering points have been added.
- New gatherable materials have been added.
- New sanctuary crafting recipes have been added.
- New produce has been added.
- New animals have been added.
- New materials can now be acquired from foraging expeditions.
- A new area has been added for foraging expeditions.
- New isleworks handicrafts have been added.
When Island Sanctuaries were first released in Patch 6.2, the maximum rank was 10. It was then increased to 12 in Patch 6.3, making this the largest leap in maximum rank since its release.
As players explore their island, they will come across various materials they can gather, grow crops in their garden, or farm goods from tamed animals. These materials can be used to craft new tools to collect a new tier of items, expand the traversable areas of the island, or they can be refined in the Sanctuary’s Workshops for export for Seafarer’s Cowries.
- New items have been added that are offered by the horrendous hoarder NPC in exchange for islander’s and seafarer’s cowries.
Previous items using Seafarer’s Cowries included a range of items, from glamours, chocobo bardings, minions, and a few mounts. Images of two outfits rewarded from Island Sanctuaries were shown in Live Letter 77, but the remaining new items are currently unknown.
- New visions have been added.
Visions are an Island Sanctuary’s interpretation of a quest. However, they aren’t in the same general format as most of FFXIV’s quests. Instead of talking to an NPC, slaying a few mobs then returning for your reward, visions are typically tied to making progress on your island. With four new Sanctuary Ranks to progress through, the possibilities of what these Visions require to complete could be varied.
- New facilities have been added.
- New construction plots are available in the hideaway.
Construction plots are used for workshops, granaries, and landmarks across the island. With the mention of new plots and facilities, it’s currently unclear if the new facilities are upgrades of previously existing facilities or a sign of a new feature entirely. It could also mean new landmarks, which act as a cosmetic addition to one’s island and generate Groove for the island’s workshops.
- A warning that displays when a material deficit will be incurred for handicrafts has been added.
Crafting tools, constructing buildings, and manufacturing handicrafts in the workshop all require the materials gathered through the various methods available on the island. Constructing buildings and making handicrafts aren’t instant, though. Constructing new buildings is a process that can take up to 12 real-world hours, and handicrafts can be set up days in advance.
Players often run into issues with material shortages, which previously could be checked by looking at the export screen, but a new quality-of-life feature will warn Island Sanctuary owners that their handicraft will cause a deficit in materials required.
- The maximum number of minions that can be simultaneously released has been increased from 40 to 50.
A fun feature of Island Sanctuaries is allowing the various minions that players have collected over time to roam free in different locations, giving their tiny companions a chance to enjoy a bit of the island life alongside them. Adding 10 more slots makes choosing favorites to display a little less stressful.
Island Sanctuary furnishing glamours
One of the most significant additions to Island Sanctuaries in Patch 6.4 is the inclusion of furnishing glamours. Players can now convert outdoor furnishing items originally intended for housing into glamours to place around their Island Sanctuary, giving their private paradise a unique flair.
The furniture item in question won’t be expended and can be placed around the island several times, removing the need to purchase multiples. While the furnishing might not be expended and remain in players’ inventories, it will remain bound to them, making them untradeable and preventing them from being sold.
Up to 90 items can be placed around players’ Island Sanctuaries, and up to 120 items can be converted into glamours. Because furnishing glamours will allow for a substantial amount of items to be placed, the community will no doubt showcase plenty of creative setups once given the ability to personalize their private islands.
