FFXIV Patch 7.45 Arrives March; PvP Ranked Wraps Up Soon
FFXIV Patch 7.45 recap: Crystalline Conflict Season 18 end, Season 19 start, Bronze Framer Kit rewards, Merchant Tale dungeon, and Hildibrand quests.
By:
John Langan
Crystalline Conflict Season 18: End Results
FFXIV Patch 7.45 released on March 10, 2026, closing out Crystalline Conflict Season 18 and opening Season 19. Patch 7.5 went live on April 28, 2026, so all 7.45 content described here is fully live. Season 18 ended with the Patch 7.45 maintenance window on March 10, 2026. Season 19 began immediately after. Players who participated in at least one ranked match during Season 18 qualified for tier rewards. The tier reward structure included:
- Bronze Framer's Kit (portrait accent set: background, frame, and accent) plus 1,000 Trophy Crystals at the Bronze tier
- Higher-tier portrait kits and larger Trophy Crystal payouts at Silver, Gold, Platinum, and Diamond tiers
Top-ranking players received additional cosmetic recognition by data center: Top 300 on Elemental (Japan), Dynamis (North America), and Light (Europe); Top 100 on Materia (Oceania).
Season 19 launched with a rank reset: players started Season 19 five ranks below where they finished Season 18. If you need to recover ground or push for the end-of-season reward tier in the current season, climb the Crystalline Conflict ranked ladder with a piloted carry before the next season closes.
PvP Series 10
PvP Series 10 was the active battle-pass-style progression track during Patch 7.45. Series 10 ran through the end of the 7.45 content cycle; Series 11 began with Patch 7.5 on April 28, 2026. Players who completed Series 10 tracks before the reset carried , as Series resets are a clean break tied to major patch releases.
Patch 7.45 Content: The Merchant's Tale and Hildibrand
Beyond the PvP season transition, Patch 7.45 added two notable PvE content pieces:
- The Merchant's Tale — a new variant dungeon (1–4 players, branching paths) and its advanced companion, Another Merchant's Tale (criterion dungeon for coordinated progression).
- Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures: the Hildibrand side quest chain continued with "A Need for Speed" (Level 100, located in Solution Nine).
Patch 7.45 did not add new Main Scenario Quests. MSQ content arrived in Patch 7.4 before this release, and the next MSQ block came with Patch 7.5. To catch up on Patch 7.45 content or jump into the new variant dungeon, explore Patch 7.45 boost options for dungeon unlocks and story quest clears.
Looking Ahead: Patch 7.5
Patch 7.5, "Trail to the Heavens," launched April 28, 2026, capping the Dawntrail content cycle with new MSQ chapters, the final Savage raid tier, and the conclusion of the Series 10 PvP track. Players returning to FFXIV after a break can use Patch 7.5 as their re-entry point — the 7.45 content block (Merchant's Tale, Hildibrand) remains accessible as permanent content after the patch transition.
Last reviewed 2026-05-21 against Patch 7.45 (March 10, 2026) and Patch 7.5 (April 28, 2026). Maintained by WowCarry's FFXIV team.