We've known for a while that The Arcadion would release on July 16 thanks to the maintenance schedule for Final Fantasy XIV. Here's when you can start playing the WoLs tournament arc, however, since we finally have a concrete timeframe for this patch.
The maintenance period that will apply patch 7.01 will occur at the following times, according on your location, according to a Lodestone article updated on June 12:
- PST – 11 p.m. on July 15 – 3 a.m. on July 16
- EST – 2 a.m. on July 16 – 6 a.m. on July 16
- BST – 7 a.m. on July 16 – 11 a.m. on July 16
During these periods, Lodestone and the Companion App will also be undergoing maintenance; standard maintenance procedures will be followed.
Naturally, this patch will bring The Arcadion raid's first four bouts, in which the WoL will engage in tournament-style combat with a number of adversaries.
We now know that the first tier of fights (1-4) will be called Light Heavyweight. The first of these fights will pit us against a Miqo'te who most definitely doesn't skip a day at the gym, thanks to a sneak peek revealed during the most recent Live Letter from the Producer (82).
version 6.01 will only release Arcadion bouts on standard difficulty; version 6.05. will include their Savage variations on July 30.
We witnessed a mystery Lalafell reopen the Arcadion at the conclusion of the Dawntrail MSQ, after the credits, but this will be the first time that players may really enter. Uncertainty surrounds our opponents, but considering how intriguing some of the recently introduced concepts have been so far, it's a fascinating possibility.