Once you’ve experienced and finished the main scenario quest of Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker, you’ll be hit with a wave of emotions. It’s a lot to take in, and the last leg of the questline pushes you through a dramatic conclusion. But just because “end” is in this expansion’s title, it doesn’t mean you’re done here!
Two optional post-game dungeons await after you finish the main story, and they are some incredibly designed dungeons with great boss fights and their own stories to tell. And to no one’s surprise, their theme songs slap. They’re also well-worth seeking out for the endgame gear grind. So, here’s how to unlock Smileton and The Stigma Dreamscape, and a bit about why you should run them.
Here’s your minor spoiler warning — you shouldn’t be looking at this until you’ve finished Endwalker anyway!
How to Unlock Smileton
First off, you need to finish the Endwalker main story questline, you know, with the last quest called “Endwalker” just to be sure. After it’s all done, you’ll have a new quest available back at Old Sharlayan called “Cutting the Cheese” from the NPC named Panic-stricken Loporrit (located at X: 11.8, Y: 11.4). Talk to them then go to Mare Lamentorum (X: 11.8, Y: 22.6) and talk with Buildingway, who is out on the surface of the moon. Now you have access to the level 90 dungeon Smileton.
Why Smileton Is So Damn Cool
Smileton is a really fun one with twisting staircases and teleporters that take you through this wild underground facility the Loporrits made for the planned moon exodus. This dungeon houses The Big Cheese, an automaton created by the Loporrits to produce whatever the moon’s inhabitants needed, but it’s gone haywire and needs to be shut down. Think of it as an evil 3D printer. The Loporrits mean well, but boy did they mess this one up!
There’s an amazing upbeat jazz tune that serves as the dungeon theme — it’s called “Carrots of Happiness” and it’s a lovely song on its own. It kind of matches the chaotic energy of the Loporrits running around in panic within the dungeon! Smileton sort of reminds me of the Great Gubal Library, but this being a level 90 dungeon, it’s a new challenge with tough bosses like Face, Frameworker, and The Big Cheese itself. There are some pretty tough boss mechanics to deal with, so be on the lookout for our upcoming Smileton dungeon guide.
How to Unlock The Stigma Dreamscape
Since this is a post-game dungeon, you need to finish the Endwalker main story questline. Afterward, a new quest will be available at Old Sharlayan called “Where No Loporrit Has Gone Before” from the NPC Jammingway (located at X: 11.0, Y: 13.8). You’ll then have to go to Thaumazein (the spaceship bay) in Labyrinthos to meet up with Jammingway, then go to Base Omicron in Ultima Thule for some dialogue. Now you have access to the level 90 dungeon The Stigma Dreamscape.
Why The Stigma Dreamscape Is So Damn Cool
If you have any love for the Omega raid series back in Stormblood, then this dungeon is a real treat. The first reason is that the dungeon uses The Primal’s version of “eScape” as its theme song, which is the super dope boss theme originally from the Alphascape V 3.0 raid where you fight Omega itself.
The Stigma Dreamscape is a top-tier dungeon because you see first-hand the world from which Omega comes from and the endless war these robots have programmed themselves for. Along with the wave of machines are dragons that have also been subjected to this war. The final boss, Stigma-4, is dead set on destroying your homeworld from across the galaxy. Instead, you fight it to rewire its logic and implant the memory that it stands no chance against you, nipping a potential conflict in the bud.
The Stigma Dreamscape is essentially Endwalker‘s own The Twinning. It calls back to an old Garlond Ironworks raid, remixes the same tune, and expands on the narrative implications from their respective raids. It’s also fun as hell with some wild boss mechanics to handle. Be on the lookout for our upcoming guide on The Stigma Dreamscape, too!
Earning Endgame Gear and Tomestones of Aphorism
Both Smileton and The Stigma Dreamscape need to be cleared in order to unlock the Expert Duty Roulette, which is important for earning the new Tomestones of Aphorism. You get a total of 180 Tomestones of Aphorism for doing the Expert Roulette (80 from the Roulette bonus and 80 from the dungeon run itself). The Expert Roulette also includes The Dead Ends, the final Endwalker dungeon in MSQ.
All three dungeons reward you with 80 Tomestones of Aphorism when you complete them on their own, so you can keep running them to grind these new Tomestones if you’ve exhausted your Daily Roulette rewards or if you prefer running these dungeons instead.
Tomestones of Aphorism are used to buy Moonward endgame gear (each piece has an item level of 570). Weapons cost 500, Body and Pants gear cost 410, Hats/Gloves/Boots cost 245, and Accessories cost 180. You can find Cihanti, the Tomestones vendor in Radz-at-Han near the main Aetheryte, at X: 10.8, Y: 10.3.
