Step into the gladiatorial arena of Solution Nine and prove your might in the all-new Arcadion raids, the latest 8-player challenge in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Unlocked by completing the Dawntrail main storyline and speaking to the enigmatic Stylish Stranger at coordinates X:19.1 Y:18.8, this raid series pits you against fierce competition in a colosseum-style spectacle where glory and top-tier gear await. Prepare your gear, rally your allies, and dive into the Ascension Arcadia Championship-where every fight is a battle for fame, fortune, and survival.
Below, we explain where to unlock the Arcadion raid series in FFXIV as well as how the loot for the raids works.
Where to unlock the Arcadion raids in FFXIV
To unlock the Arcadion raids in Final Fantasy XIV, you must first complete the level 100 main scenario quest “Dawntrail.” Afterward, head to Solution Nine and speak to the Stylish Stranger (Metem) located at coordinates X:19.1, Y:18.8 in the Recreation Zone. He will give you the quest “A New Challenger Appears,” which starts the Arcadion raid series. Following this, you need to speak to the Arcadion Attendant (X:19.6, Y:21.3) to enter the Arcadion arena and then interact with Metem again to progress. Once you complete these steps, the first Arcadion raid, AAC Light-Heavyweight M1, becomes available through the Duty Finder. Note that a minimum item level of 685 and level 100 are required to participate, and you must progress through the raid series to unlock subsequent tiers.
To unlock the Arcadion raids, you’ll need to have completed the main scenario quest “Dawntrail.”
Once you’ve done that, you can talk to the Stylish Stranger NPC in Solution Nine at the following location to start the quest “A New Challenger Appears.”
Once you’ve talked to him and done a few quests, the first of the four raids will unlock. Complete the raid and continue on with the quest chain to unlock the full set of raids.
You’ll need to be at least item level 685 to take on the raids.
Arcadion loot and gear exchange, explained
In Final Fantasy XIV’s Arcadion raids, loot and gear acquisition revolve around a token and relic exchange system. Players earn specific relic tokens from defeating bosses in the raids, with each boss dropping different types and amounts of relics required for various gear pieces like helmets, chest armor, gloves, and accessories. These relics can then be traded with the NPC Hhihwi in Solution Nine, located in the Nexus Arcade, for Arcadion gear. Due to weekly loot restrictions, players can only obtain one relic per fight per week, with a maximum of four relics weekly, which necessitates careful planning on which gear to prioritize. Weapons are obtained through a separate process involving weekly clears of the final fight, granting a guaranteed weapon token that can be exchanged after collecting enough tokens over several weeks. This system encourages gradual gear progression, with full sets of item level 710 gear typically acquired over multiple weeks of raid participation.
As per usual with these types of raids, you will only be able to get one drop per raid per week, with the week resetting on Tuesdays at 4 a.m. EDT.
This means if you ran “AAC Light-heavyweight M1” and got a hologear drop from it, you won’t be able to get another drop from it until next week.
Each raid only drops specific loot types, and you’ll need a certain number of each loot to trade in for the actual gear, which you can see we tabled out below.
FFXIV Arcadion raid loot
The Arcadion raid loot in FFXIV consists primarily of gear tokens dropped by bosses in the Normal and Savage difficulties of the raid. Players can obtain one relic drop per boss fight each week, which can be exchanged for various pieces of Arcadion gear at the vendor Hhihwi in Solution Nine. While armor and accessories require exchanging these tokens, the weapon acquisition process is distinct: by clearing the final fight weekly, players receive a guaranteed Light-heavy Holoblade, which can be traded for the weapon after collecting enough tokens and tomestones. Due to weekly loot restrictions, fully gearing up to item level 710 is a gradual process, expected to ease with future patch updates lifting some drop limitations.
Drop |
Where to obtain |
# required to exchange |
|---|---|---|
| Light-heavy Holohelm | M1, M2, M3 | 2 |
| Light-heavy Holoarmor | M1, M2, M3, M4 | 4 |
| Light-heavy Hologauntlets | M1, M2, M3, M4 | 2 |
| Light-heavy Holochausses | M1, M2, M3, M4 | 4 |
| Light-heavy Hologreaves | M1, M2, M4 | 2 |
| Light-heavy Holoearring | M1, M2, M3, M4 | 1 |
You can trade in the loot to Hhihwi in Solution Nine. This NPC will only show up once you’ve unlocked the first raid.
While doing all this will get you the armor and accessories, the process to get a weapon is a little bit different. Once a week, when you clear “AAC Light-heavyweight M4,” you’ll get a Light-heavy Holoblade guaranteed, without having to roll for it. You can trade in seven holoblades for one Universal Tomestone to Hhihwi. You’ll need to trade a Universal Tomestone and 500 Tomestones of Heliometry for the weapon.
Want to know the exact location to start the Arcadion raids in Dawntrail
To start the Arcadion raids in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, you need to speak with the Stylish Stranger NPC located in Solution Nine at coordinates X:19.1, Y:18.8. This will begin the quest “A New Challenger Appears,” which unlocks the raid series. Note that you must have completed the Dawntrail main storyline before you can access this quest.
Is the Stylish Strange NPC at Solution Nine the only way to start Arcadion in Dawntrail
Yes, speaking to the Stylish Stranger NPC (named Metem) in Solution Nine at coordinates X:19.1, Y:18.8 is the only way to start the Arcadion raids in Dawntrail. This interaction begins the quest “A New Challenger Appears,” which is required to unlock the raid series. You must have completed the Dawntrail main scenario questline before you can access this NPC and start the Arcadion raids. There are no alternative NPCs or locations to initiate the raid unlock.
