Square Enix revealed Zephyr, the second new job coming to “Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold,” at Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo on Oct. 31. The physical ranged damage-per-second (DPS) job fights with a crossbow and an avian familiar known as a Nephele, but the reveal came with less welcome news: “Evercold” now launches Feb. 23, 2027, about three weeks later than planned.
Zephyr will be the game’s fourth physical ranged job, joining Bard, Machinist and Dancer. It’s also the first new one since Dancer arrived with 2019’s “Shadowbringers.”
“It’s been a while since we introduced a proper pet job,” producer and director Naoki Yoshida said during the keynote, Nova Crystallis reported.
What the Zephyr trailer shows
The Zephyr trailer is built around teamwork between player and bird. The pair trade coordinated attacks throughout and build to a big finisher, Icy Veins noted. The standout moment comes about 50 seconds in, when the Zephyr grabs hold of the Nephele and flies around the arena while the familiar keeps attacking.
That lines up with how Square Enix describes the job. The Nephele “works in tandem with its master to unleash powerful coordinated attacks as well as provide party support,” while the Zephyr excels at evasion with “a variety of breezy movement actions for precise positioning on the field.”
Where the Zephyr comes from
The job’s origins trace to the northwestern mountains of Ilsabard, where hunters survived the wilderness with crossbows and their avian familiars. Ilsabard is a continent on the Source, the game’s main world, rather than part of the frozen reflection players visit in “Evercold.”
The job still has a place in the expansion’s story. Visna, a young runesmith who lives on the Fourth, is a Zephyr herself.
How to unlock Zephyr
Zephyr starts at level 90, the same as fellow new job Bastion, and its job quest begins in Gridania. Players will need another combat job at level 90 and a copy of the expansion to take it up.
Like Bastion, Zephyr is available only in the new Evolved Mode. Older jobs can also use Reborn Mode, which builds on the current combat system, while Evolved Mode puts more emphasis on each job’s identity.
‘Evercold’ release date and preorders
Square Enix had planned to launch “Evercold,” the game’s sixth expansion and patch 8.0, in January 2027. Yoshida apologized for the delay and said the extra time will help the team handle the expansion’s large-scale system changes and reach the quality it wants, Nova Crystallis reported.
Early access is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 19, 2027, at 1 a.m. PST, but only for players who preorder. Preorders open Nov. 4 at 10 a.m. PST, with the Standard Edition at $44.99 and the Digital Collector’s Edition at $64.99.
The keynote also debuted a full-length “Evercold” trailer. The expansion is set on the Fourth, a reflection of the Source locked in endless winter, where people fled to giant airships 500 years ago.
Why Zephyr matters for FFXIV players
Traditional pet play has been missing from much of the main job roster for about five years. Summoner’s pets became visual accompaniments to its spells when the job was reworked for 2021’s “Endwalker.”
Beastmaster, the limited job added in patch 7.56 in September, brought monsters back to players’ sides, but it sits outside the standard job roster. Zephyr would put a familiar at the center of a regular job, and in a role that hasn’t had a new option in seven years.
What’s next
Square Enix hasn’t shared Zephyr’s full action list. Yoshida said an extensive Letter from the Producer Live broadcast will go deeper on the new jobs and on Reborn and Evolved modes before launch.
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