Winner: Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail
Writeup by Mike Salbato
I know, who saw this coming? While the fan reaction to Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail has certainly been more mixed than the last couple expansions, it was always meant to be a reset and start of a new journey. Still, Dawntrail‘s major patches have built upon the foundation from 7.0 and taken us to interesting and exciting new places. Beyond that, there’s always something new to do, whether it’s the expansive planet exploration quests, the neon-soaked Arcadion raid series, or any portion of the ever-increasing content (Deep Dungeons, Variant Dungeons, Occult Crescent, and good old Hildibrand). Great new side characters, as well as references and music from Final Fantasy IX & Final Fantasy XI, are other notable highlights.
Runner-Up: Fallout 76
Writeup by Noah Leiter
Coming off the heels of a successful first season of the Fallout TV series last winter, Fallout 76 kicked their update cycle into high gear in 2026, releasing four major content updates: Ghoul Within, Gone Fission, C.A.M.P. Revamp, and Burning Springs. The first update saw new play options for veteran players, where they could wear the shoes of a freshly minted ghoul (just like in the show), offering new perks, updated weapon/armor optimizations, and lots of ghoulish content. Gone Fission brought fishing to the game, with over 30 types of fish, tons of new fishing-related items, and new quests, plus a complete overhaul of the game’s perk system. Then C.A.M.P. Revamp opened up the game’s basebuilding system to allow players more freedom, along with a much-needed facelift to the basebuilding UI. The final update, Burning Springs, included a whole new region (Ohio), along with new quests, a new faction, a new hub, and player-favorite bounties. It is clear that Bethesda is listening to player feedback; it’s no wonder that, even if the game still isn’t perfect, we gave it an 85 in our updated review.
