After two years of waiting, the Ishgard Empyreum housing has finally opened on the release of patch 6.1 for Final Fantasy XIV. Rather than the first-come-first-serve bonanza of residential wards in the past, Square Enix has opted to change how players can get a house in Ishgard’s Empyreum.
Players have four days to buy into auctions for all plots available within Ishgard’s Empyreum, but first, a quest needs to be completed to introduce the area. Many players have already completed the quests in anticipation of the housing release, but in the event that you haven’t yet, it’s a brief walking segue.
Completing the unlock quest
At the Foundation Aetheryte Plaza is a man named Gondelimbaud (check at the 9.9, 11.8 coordinates), offering the quest Ascending to Empyreum. Take this quest and head to Brume to find Thomelin (14.2, 12.5), and watch the cutscene. Then you’ll head to Highmorn Herald (11.6, 14.4) to be introduced to the housing district. Complete the quest by heading back to the Foundation Aetheryte Plaza and turning the quest into Gondelimbaud.
Head over to the Ishgard Empyreum, and let the lottery begin.
Ishgard Empyreum purchase system
As mentioned, Square Enix opted against the prior system of housing for the Ishgard Empyreum. Instead of a housing rush, players can browse neighborhoods (wards), and purchase a lottery ticket for a singular house. Players can only purchase a raffle ticket for one plot of land — four days later, the raffle will be run and the winner of the raffle will be notified that they were selected for the plot of land.
Wards 1 through 18 are reserved for Free Companies in Final Fantasy XIV, while 19-24 are private housing for single users.
The pricing is dependent on plot size, but competition seems directly linked to amenities such as market boards and summoning bells. The raffle prices are as follows:
- Small plot — 3,000,000 – 3,750,000 gil.
- Medium plot — 17,000,000 – 20,000,000 gil.
- Large plot — 47,500,000 – 50,000,000 gil.
Roughly an hour into the opening of the Ishgard Empyreum and the competition on plots is already fierce, with most plots already having multiple entries. Results will be available to view on April 16, starting at 11:00 ET. All lottery participants that did not get the house must claim their lottery entry fee during the results period to receive a full refund.
Best of luck on your lotteries, but most importantly, don’t forget to log in on April 16 to see the results.
