What FFXIV and Destiny 2 raids could learn from each other

Cross-pollinating raid design: How Destiny 2 and FFXIV can exchange mechanics to enhance both experiences

Introduction: Titans of the Genre with Room to Grow

Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV stand as pillars of the live-service gaming landscape, each defining what a modern, persistent online world can be. Their endgame raid content represents the pinnacle of player challenge and coordination.

While both Destiny 2 and Final Fantasy XIV deliver masterclass raid experiences, their distinct design philosophies create unique strengths—and specific weaknesses—that the other could address.

The raid scenarios in these games are legendary for good reason. They combine intricate mechanics with breathtaking visual spectacles, pushing coordinated teams to their limits. However, longevity breeds familiarity, and even the best systems can stagnate.

This analysis isn’t about declaring a winner, but about identifying a symbiotic opportunity. By examining the core raid design of each title, we can pinpoint actionable lessons that would elevate both experiences.

With both franchises continually evolving—Destiny 2 with its episodic model and FFXIV heading into the Dawntrail expansion—there’s no better time to explore how cross-pollination could delight their dedicated player bases and attract new challengers.

What Destiny 2 Can Learn from Final Fantasy XIV

Destiny 2’s six-player raids are spectacular set-piece adventures, often credited with cementing the game’s identity since the Vault of Glass. They demand flawless teamwork, especially on initial, blind runs.

A frequent criticism, however, is the repetition of core mechanics. Encounters often distill down to familiar patterns: defeat enemies to collect objects, then deposit those objects in a specific location. While executions like the Vault in Last Wish break this mold with brilliant puzzle-solving, many fights feel like variations on a theme.

This leads to problem-solving that can become rote: “I have the thing; where does the thing go?” The mechanical toolkit feels limited, reducing opportunities for individual player heroics that salvage a failing run.

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Here is where Final Fantasy XIV’s approach shines. Its combat system allows for multiple concurrent status effects—buffs and debuffs—on each player. Raid mechanics layer tethers (connecting players), stacks (requiring grouping), spreads (forcing dispersion), proteans (targeted aoes), and more into single, high-pressure moments.

Practical Tip for Destiny 2 Design: Imagine a Destiny 2 encounter where a Guardian is simultaneously “Tethered” to a teammate (requiring distance management), marked with a “Void Stack” (needing three allies close by), and carrying a relic that must be dunked. This creates multi-layered problem-solving where individual performance is critical. Destiny 2 could introduce more soft-enrage mechanics that pressure specific players, making raids less about six people doing one task and more about six people managing six interlinked tasks.

Common Mistake to Avoid: The risk here is over-complication. Destiny’s first-person, fast-paced combat differs from FFXIV’s tab-targeting. New mechanics must feel intuitive within Destiny’s control scheme, not just ported over. The goal is heightened tension and complexity, not confusion.

What Final Fantasy XIV Can Learn from Destiny 2

Conversely, Final Fantasy XIV’s raiding scene, from Savage to Ultimate difficulty, is renowned for its brutal precision and complexity. Yet, a formula has emerged: a circular arena, a single boss, a predictable opener (auto-attacks into raid-wide/tankbuster), and mechanics solved by the full, co-located party.

This creates a high level of predictability. Once you learn the “dance,” execution is about memorization and repetition. Mechanics rarely differentiate roles beyond the tank managing busters and healers managing raid-wide damage. The party is almost never physically separated, with rare exceptions like Eden’s Verse: Refulgence (E8) or Alexander: The Soul of the Creator (A12).

Destiny 2 frequently employs environmental puzzles and role-specific tasks that split the fireteam. Think of traversing the jumping puzzle in King’s Fall while others defend plates, or collecting motes in one area of Garden of Salvation while teammates battle in another. These moments create mini-narratives within the raid and accentuate individual contribution.

Optimization Tip for FFXIV Design: FFXIV could introduce more phases where parties split into light parties (groups of 2 or 3) to solve simultaneous, but different, puzzles in adjacent arenas, reuniting for a final burn phase. Furthermore, mechanics could be designed to specifically leverage job identity. For example, a mechanic that requires a Black Mage’s high burst damage on an isolated target, or a Ninja’s mobility to activate distant switches, similar to how P3S used healers to soak towers for a necessary buff.

This approach would break the “static dance” feel, allow for clutch individual plays to cover for mistakes, and make job choice feel more impactful to the encounter’s flow. The developers have acknowledged a desire to take more risks in Dawntrail’s encounter design, which is a promising sign.

Common Pitfall: The challenge is maintaining balance. Forcing party splits in a game built around tight, 8-player coordination could feel punishing if communication tools aren’t robust. Any new mechanics must be clearly telegraphable within FFXIV’s established visual language.

Practical Tips for Players Navigating Both Worlds

As a player engaging with both games’ high-end content, adapting your mindset is key. In Destiny 2, practice thinking about multiple objectives at once, as FFXIV demands. In FFXIV, be prepared for potential future encounters that might demand more spatial awareness and role-specific solo responsibility, as Destiny 2 requires.

Strategy for Improvement: When a raid feels stale, analyze it through the lens of the other game. What would make this Destiny encounter more complex? What would make this FFXIV fight less predictable? This critical thinking will make you a better raider and a more valuable teammate.

The most exciting prospect is that this cross-learning is already hinted at. Bungie and Square Enix’s development teams are filled with gamers who likely play each other’s titles. The evolution seen in recent content suggests an awareness of these design spaces. By understanding the potential exchange, players can better appreciate innovations and provide more nuanced feedback for the future of both these legendary raiding experiences.

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