Anyone who pre-ordered Final Fantasy XIV‘s Dawntrail expansion is likely enjoying it right now. Everyone else, though, has to wait until July 2, which isn’t that far away, but can feel like an eternity, especially when you know many others are experiencing it already. In the meantime, though, you can peruse an amusing fake tourism website for the expansion’s new setting of Tural.
It’s thematically appropriate considering Dawntrail has been described as something of a summer vacation for your player character, but Square Enix has gone the extra mile to make this site look as genuine as possible. There are sections detailing Tural’s culture, inhabitants, and locations, as well activities an in-universe tourist can partake in, and even one of those customer support chatbots you can use to get further info.
Square Enix also got New Zealand actor Rhys Darby (who you may recognize from TV shows like Our Flag Means Death) to play the role of Interim Deputy Director for the Board of Turalism (love that pun, by the way), since the previous director has apparently mysteriously vanished. I’m not sure if this will have any relevance to Dawntrail‘s actual storyline, but it would be neat if this is foreshadowing something sinister beneath the expansion’s sunny surface.
Honestly, there are too many good jokes scattered through the website. It’s well worth scouring the whole thing if only for a quick laugh. I think my personal favorite gags are the casual acknowledgement that there are dangerous monsters that can kill vacationers, and the job postings for roles like Viper Blade Sharpener and Elixir Mixer. They even note the salary and that they come with White Mage insurance.
There’s also a whole host of things you can do in-game to prepare for Dawntrail‘s full release. If you’re someone that does already have access to the expansion, we have some guides to help you get started, such as ones on how to unlock the new Viper and Pictomancer job classes.
