FFXIV Patch 7.38 Is Live: Savage Loot Caps Gone, New Ivalice Poster, and Key Fixes Before 7.4
On November 11, Final Fantasy XIV rolled out Patch 7.38 across all platforms, a targeted quality-of-life update that quietly reshapes endgame pacing for the current Arcadion: AAC Cruiserweight (Savage) tier while slipping in a handful of progression tweaks and housing rewards. It’s a compact patch with outsized impact: weekly loot restrictions are gone, raid flow is more flexible, and players now have an alternative path to Evercharged Ester without touching Savage. All of this lands while the team continues to mitigate ongoing DDoS disruptions on North American data centers and pivots marketing to Patch 7.4 “Into the Mist” on December 16.
Below is a concise breakdown of what changed, why it matters, and how you should adjust your weekly routine.
Headline Changes at a Glance
AAC Cruiserweight (Savage) loot caps removed. No more weekly restriction on treasure coffers or Cruiser Holosabers; coffers always appear regardless of prior clears.
Open progression inside the tier. You can skip directly to any fight in the Cruiserweight sequence—including Howling Blade, the champion—without sequential clears.
Alternative gear growth. Evercharged Ester, used to enhance weapons purchased with Allagan Tomestones of Mathematics, can now be obtained by exchanging 1× Ordelle Coin + 1× Montiont Coin at Uah’shepya in Solution Nine (X:8.7 Y:13.5); then trade with Theone (X:8.5 Y:13.6) for upgrades.
Coins via alliance raids. Ordelle and Montiont Coins drop from Echoes of Vana’diel alliance raids, giving non-Savage players a clear upgrade route.
New housing item. “Legends of Ivalice” wall poster now has a chance to drop from Return to Ivalice (Royal City of Rabanastre, Ridorana Lighthouse, Orbonne Monastery).
Bug fixes. Notable issues in Pilgrim’s Traverse, Final Verse (and Quantum), Party Finder participation checks, and Cosmic Exploration fishing have been addressed, with extra safeguards added for players experiencing network lag.
What the Loot Changes Mean for Your Static (and PUGs)
Removing weekly caps from AAC Cruiserweight (Savage) fundamentally alters catch-up dynamics:
Farm nights are back. With coffers guaranteed and no reduction in rewards even if someone’s cleared, teams can chain-clear to kit alts or latecomers without wasting lockouts.
Roster flexibility. Losing a member mid-week no longer punishes the group. You can pivot roles, sub in trials, and still funnel gear efficiently.
PUG viability improves. The fear of “wasting a lockout” evaporates. Expect Party Finder to become more active at all hours, with cleaner incentives for both mentors and learners.
Cruiser Holosabers specifically matter because they control weapon timelines. With the weekly restriction removed, weapon paths accelerate, and you can target precise bis gaps rather than waiting out calendar weeks.
Skipping Straight to Howling Blade (and Any Other Encounter)
Patch 7.38 lets you proceed directly to any area within the AAC Cruiserweight tier. Practically, that means:
Focused practice. New teams can spend a full night on a problematic door boss or enrage check without burning time on earlier fights.
Loot targeting. If your group only needs drops from the last two encounters, you can go straight there and stay there.
Recruitment ease. PUG listings can advertise “HB practice only” or “M2S farm” without the overhead of multi-floor commitments.
For late-cycle tiers, this is exactly the release-valve raiders want: fast funneling and skill-focused sessions.
Weapon Upgrades Without Savage: Ester via Alliance Coins
The new exchange option for Evercharged Ester is a big win for non-Savage players and alt jobs:
Where: Uah’shepya in Solution Nine (X:8.7 Y:13.5) takes 1 Ordelle Coin + 1 Montiont Coin per Ester.
How to earn coins: Run Echoes of Vana’diel alliance raids.
Next step: Bring the Ester to Theone (X:8.5 Y:13.6) to enhance Tomestone weapons.
This route keeps raiders happy (alts get moving without eating raid time) and gives casuals a clear, repeatable pathway to keep item levels relevant heading into 7.4. It also spreads queue pressure across alliance content rather than overloading Savage PF.
Housing: “Legends of Ivalice” Poster
Collectors have a new wall-mounted furnishing to chase. The Legends of Ivalice poster features key art from Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles and drops from shared coffers in:
The Royal City of Rabanastre
The Ridorana Lighthouse
The Orbonne Monastery
Because it’s in shared treasure, coordinated groups can rotate clears and share wins fairly quickly. Expect market board ripples if the drop rate is tight; decorators will want multiples for themed venues.
Bug Fixes and Stability Improvements
Patch 7.38 addresses several pain points:
Pilgrim’s Traverse (all variants). Fixed interactions where Vulnerability Down could be negated by Vulnerability Up, ensured Light/Dark Vengeance statuses apply reliably even under lag, and added safeguards for network instability.
Final Verse / Final Verse (Quantum). Resolved duty timer expulsions not triggering and corrected boss draw-in (Bounds of Sin) behavior under certain conditions.
Party Finder logic. Fixed edge cases where players flagged as Duty Complete still couldn’t join recruitment.
Cosmic Exploration. Corrected fish tables for specific Phaenna stellar missions.
Miscellaneous text and various issues. Additional copy and minor systemic clean-ups round out the list.
Given the NA DDoS context, the added resilience for status application and duty handling is timely. It won’t solve backbone attacks, but it reduces in-duty fallout from jitter and packet loss.
How to Optimize Your Week After 7.38
Raiders
Set a farm window. With loot caps gone, dedicate a fixed night to farm Holosabers and tier drops for alts and returns. It pays immediate dividends.
Post “practice-only” PFs. Advertise specific phases (e.g., “HB p2 prog”) and loop until muscle memory clicks—no sequential clear needed.
Review bis plans. Shorter weapon timelines can change best-in-slot math. Recheck melds and tomestone spend so you don’t overcap.
Casual / Midcore
Run Echoes of Vana’diel. Funnel Ordelle/Montiont Coins to secure Evercharged Ester and keep your weapon on curve for 7.4.
Hunt the poster. Queue Return to Ivalice with FC friends to improve your odds on the Legends of Ivalice drop.
Stability check. Revisit content that previously felt shaky; fixes to Pilgrim’s Traverse and Final Verse may smooth your progression.
Crafters / Decorators
Track poster pricing. Early-patch scarcity often means profitable flips; watch for weekend spikes as more players log in.
Prep for 7.4. Stockpile materials commonly used in new recipes; Into the Mist will likely prompt fresh housing sets and raid consumables.
Why 7.38 Matters Even Though It’s “Small”
End-of-tier patches live or die by one question: Can I gear who I want, when I want? By uncapping AAC Cruiserweight loot and guaranteeing coffers, 7.38 says yes. It compresses catch-up, keeps PF healthy, and lowers friction for returning players—exactly what the game needs with a major story and systems beat two weeks away.
The alternative Ester path acknowledges a broader truth: not everyone raids Savage, but everyone benefits when weapon progression isn’t bottlenecked. That design keeps casual queues active and alleviates pressure on statics to carry every alt through.
Looking Ahead: Patch 7.4 “Into the Mist” (Dec 16)
Square Enix has confirmed that 7.38 is the only update in November as the studio focuses on Patch 7.4 launching December 16. Expect the usual slate—MSQ, raid/dungeon updates, new gear, and more—alongside seasonal cadence. If you’ve been on the fence about returning, 7.38 offers painless on-ramp gearing; you can walk into 7.4 ready, not rusty.
TL;DR (Sidebar-Ready)
Date: November 11, 2025
Core Change: No weekly loot caps in AAC Cruiserweight (Savage); coffers always spawn; you can skip to any fight
Upgrades: Evercharged Ester via Ordelle + Montiont Coins (alliance raids) at Solution Nine vendors
Housing: Legends of Ivalice poster drops from Return to Ivalice alliance raids
Fixes: Pilgrim’s Traverse, Final Verse (and Quantum), PF eligibility, Cosmic Exploration fishing
Next Major Patch: 7.4 “Into the Mist” — December 16