Trials in FFXIV
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All trials in Final Fantasy XIV and how to unlock them

Test yourself against difficult foes

Perhaps some of the most fun and demanding content for casual players in Final Fantasy XIV is the trials and their extreme equivalents. These trials set eight players against oneꦅ enemy, with difficulties varying depending on the level and how high-level the trial is. 

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There are a lot of trials in FFXIV, with the majority coming from MSQ progression. Hard or Extreme ver�🍌�sions are usually unlocked via completing side quests, and Extreme trials are worth aiming towards. 

Extreme trials usually drop sought-after materials, and all of them drop their own mounts. Completing all of the Extreme trials in an expansion and earning their mounts will then unlock a further mount that can’t be earned a💜ny other way.

Here’s every trial in FFXIV, and what quest you’ll need to complete t🍬o unlock it. 

A Realm Reborn trials

Gilgamesh in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

These trials are unlocked simply by playing through the MSQ of A Realm Reborn:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
The Bowl of Embers20Lord of the Inferno
The Navel34Lord of the Crags
The Howling Eye44Lady of the Vortex
The Porta Decumana50The Ultimate Weapon
Thornmarch (Hard)50You Have Selected Regicide
The Whorleater (Hard)50Lord of the Whorl
The Striking Tree (Hard)50Levin an Impression
The Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Hard)50The Instruments of Our Deliverance
The Chrysalis50An Uninvited Ascian

Side quest trials

While these aren’t strictly necessary for the story of FFXIV, they do add additional lore and side stories that are fun to dive into, nonetheless. You also have to complete Hard tr🤡ials in order to unlock their Extreme versions, and these are all level 50 trials:

TrialUnlock quest
The Bowl of Embers (Hard)Ifrit Bleeds, We Can Kill It
The Howling Eye (Hard)In for Garuda Awakening
The Navel (Hard)In a Titan Spot
A Relic Reborn: The ChimeraA Relic Reborn
A Relic Reborn: The HydraA Relic Reborn
Battle on the Big BridgeThe Three Collectors
The Dragon’s NeckThe Coliseum Conundrum
Battle in the Big KeepHer Last Vow
Urth’s FountFear and Odin in the Shroud

High-end trials

High-end trials are the extreme versions of trials that already exist, with the difficulty taken up a notch (or a few). Extreme trial🉐s will always be the maximum level for the expansion in which they were released, s💟o all A Realm Reborn trials are level 50.

TrialUnlock quest
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Ultima’s BaneThe Ultimate Ballad
The Howling Eye (Extreme)Gale-force Warning
The Navel (Extreme)Quake Me Up Before You O’Ghomoro
The Bowl of Embers (Extreme)Ifrit Ain’t Broke
Thornmarch (Extreme)The King Lives
The Whorleater (Extreme)Whorl of a Time
The Striking Tree (Extreme)Judgement Bolts and Lightning
The Akh Afah Amphitheatre (Extreme)Drop Dead Shiva

Heavensward trials

Sophia in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

The following four trials are unlocked as part of the MSQ during Heavensward:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
Thok ast Thok (Hard)53Lord of the Hive
The Limitless Blue (Hard)57Bolt, Chain, and Island
The Singularity Reactor60Heavensward
The Final Steps of Faith60An End to the Song

Side quest trials

The following trials a⛎re unlocked through sid🏅e quests in Azys Lla, and all are level 60:

TrialUnlock quest
Containment Bay S1T7When the Bough Breaks
Containment Bay P1T6Balance unto All
Containment Bay Z1T9The Last Pillar to Fall

High-end trials

If you want an extra challenge, then you can unlock and complete the Heavensward Extreme trials to take on previously challenged enemies at a higher scale of difficulty and get tꦐhose precious drops. These are all level 60 trials:

TrialUnlock quest
The Limitless Blue (Extreme)The Diabolical Bismarck
Thok ast Thok (Extreme)Thok Around the Clock
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Thordan’s ReignThordan’s Reign
Containment Bay S1T7A Fiendish Likeness
Containment Bay P1T6A Deific Simulacrum
Containment Bay Z1T9A Demonic Duplicate
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Nidhogg’s RageNidhogg’s Rage

Stormblood trials

Wreath of Snakes in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

Stormblood added another ⛎four new trials a👍s part of the MSQ, and they’ll unlock at the following stages:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
The Pool of Tribute63The Lord of the Revel
Emanation67The Lady of Bliss
The Royal Managerie70Stormblood
Castrum Fluminis70The Primary Agreement

Side quest trials

The following trials are unlocked by completing side quests in Stormblood, including the Four Auspices line of quests:

TrialUnlock quest
The Jade StoaAn Auspicious Encounter
The Great HuntThe New King on the Block
Hells’ KierThe Fire-Bird Down Below
The Wreath of SnakesSurpassing the Samurai
Kugane OhashiThe Past Is Never Past

High-end trials

Many of the Stormblood trials, except Kugane Ohashi from the Hildibrand quest line, have Extreme versions to unlock and fight through. Luckily, most of them are unᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ⁤⁤⁤⁤ᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚlocked by completing a single side quest:

TrialUnlock quest
The Pool of Tribute (Extreme)
Emanation (Extreme)
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Shinryu’s Domain
The Jade Stoa (Extreme)
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Tsukuyomi’s Pain
Hell’s Kier (Extreme)
The Wreath of Snakes (Extreme)
Songs in the Key of Kugane
The Great Hunt (Extreme)The Newer King on the Block

Shadowbringers trials

The Cloud Deck in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

As was something of a pattern by this point, Shadowbringers added four new MSQ trials:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
The Dancing Plague73Acht-la Ormh Inn
The Crown of the Immaculate79Extinguishing the Last Light
The Dying Gasp80Shadowbringers
The Seat of Sacrifice80Hope’s Confluence

Side quest trials

As part of the Shadow of Werlyt quest line, the following three level 80 trials can also be unlocked in Shadowbringers:

TrialUnlock quest
Cinder DriftRuby Doomsday
Castrum MarinumBlood of Emerald
The Cloud DeckDuty in the Sky with Diamond

High-end trials

Unlike other expansions, Shadowbringers added an Extreme trial (Memoria Misera) that does not have a normal difficulty﷽ counterpart. This is unlocked by completing quests in the Bozjan So🍸uthern Front. Completing this Extreme trial unlocks the ability to dye level 80 Artifact Armor.

Here’s how to unlock this trial, along with the rest of the level 80 Extreme trials:

TrialUnlock quest
The Dancing Plague (Extreme)
The Crown of the Immaculate (Extreme)
The Minstrel’s Ballad: Hades’s Elegy
The Seat of Sacrifice (Extreme)
Minstrel from Another Mother
Cinder Drift (Extreme)
Castrum Marinum (Extreme)
The Cloud Deck (Extreme)
Weapon of Choice
Memoria Misera (Extreme)The Bozja Incident

Endwalker trials

Endsinger in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

Endwalker really upped the number of trials added as part of the MSQ, going against the est✃ablish🍒ed pattern and adding a total of 7 trials to unlock as you progress through the main story:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
The Dark Inside83The Martyr
The Mothercrystal89Her Children, One and All
The Final Day90Endwalker
Storm’s Crown90The Wind Rises
Mount Ordeals90Desires Untold
The Voidcast Dais90Abyssal Dark
The Abyssal Fracture90Down in the Dark

Side quest trials

Only one level 90 trial is unlocked through completing a side quest during Endwalker, and it comes as part of the Somehow Further Hildibrand🐻 Adventures. To unlock the Gilded Araya, you’ll need to play through all of Hildibrand’s Endwalker quests until you complete “Gentleman at Heart.” 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ trials in Endwalker has an Extreme equivalent, and this can be unlocked by completing the level 90 side quest “I Wandered Sharlayan as a Minstrel.” 

Dawntrail trials

Valgarmanda in FFXIV
Image via Square Enix

MSQ trials

So far, three trials have been added to Dawntrail as part of the MSQ:

TrialLevelUnlock quest
Worqor Lar Dor93The Skyruin
Everkeep99The Resilient Son
The Interphos100Dawntrail

Side quest trials

As of yet, there are no further trials that can be unlocked via side quests in Dawntrail. This may change with fu♏ture patches, so this section will be updated accordingly. 

High-end trials

Each of the MSQ quests in Dawntail has an Extreme version that can be unlocked by completing the level 100 side quest “How the West Was Sung.”


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Paula Vaynshteyn
With her first experience of gaming being on an Atari ST, Paula has been gaming for her entire life. She’s 7,000 hours deep into Final Fantasy XIV, spends more time on cozy games than she would care to admit, and is also your friendly resident Whovian. Juggling online adventuring with family life has its struggles, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.