How Many Quests Were Removed from A Realm Reborn?

Hey there! As a fellow FFXIV fan, I know you’re curious to learn exactly how many quests Square Enix pruned from A Realm Reborn. This has been a hot topic ever since the major 5.3 update that culled tons of tedious filler quests.

In this in-depth guide, I’ll reveal the specific numbers around main scenario and side quest cuts. You’ll also learn how much shorter the 2.0 story is now, whether future quest pruning is coming, and more. Let’s dive in!

ARR Main Scenario Quest Cuts Amount to 13%

The most impactful quest removals happened in the main scenario – that critical 2.0 storyline we all have to complete.

Previously, A Realm Reborn launched with about 100 main scenario quests total. But in patch 5.3, Square Enix removed a full 13% of these, cutting the number down to around 80.

To put that in perspective, it‘s like eliminating 2 hours of gameplay from a 15 hour movie. Substantial!

Overall, around 20 main scenario quests got the axe. That may not seem like a ton, but many were multi-part chains focused on pointless detours. Clearing them makes the plot feel far less disjointed.

As an example, the entire Company of Heroes arc was removed. That was a meandering 5 quest series about helping random NPCs with problems unrelated to the core story. Streamlining choices like this really improved narrative flow.

According to Square Enix, the goal was to remove quests “serving little purpose in enhancing the main scenario experience.” I’d say mission accomplished!

Estimated 10-20% of All Side Quests Removed Too

In addition to main scenario cuts, Square Enix also pruned away many side quests from the 2.0 zones.

These kinds of quests are 100% optional, so cutting them doesn‘t impact critical path progression. However, it does make each zone feel less cluttered with meaningless distractions.

While Square Enix hasn’t provided exact side quest removal stats, player estimates peg it around 10-20%. Most of these were generic kill and fetch missions that no one will miss. Boring!

Helpful tip: Some cut side quests can still be picked up manually if you want access to their rewards. I’ll cover more on that later!

ARR Playtime Reduced from 150+ Hours to Around 100

Now for the exciting part – how much less grindy is A Realm Reborn after the quest cuts?

Based on player reports, pre-5.3 ARR took 150+ hours to complete including all side content. This could stretch out even longer if you were brand new to MMORPGs.

But now, most players say they’re able to finish ARR in approximately 100 hours or less. The streamlining makes a massive difference in reducing tedium.

Let’s break it down:

• Main Scenario: Around 60-80 hours (down from 80+)
• Side Content: Around 10-15 hours (down from 20+)
• Gearing & Leveling: 10-20 hours
• Dungeons & Trials: 10-15 hours

So you‘re looking at shaving off 25+ hours through a combination of quest cuts and some experience requirement reductions. Hallelujah!

This brings A Realm Reborn much closer in scope to Heavensward and other expansions. Definitely a welcome change.

Experience Needed to Progress Also Lowered by 15%

On top of removing quests, Square Enix also reduced the amount of experience needed to advance through certain sections of ARR.

Previously, players needed to gain around 315 quests worth of XP to complete the 2.0 story and unlock Heavensward. This has now been lowered to only 270 – a reduction of about 15%.

Requirements for the 2.1 through 2.55 content between ARR and Heavensward were likewise reduced by a similar percentage.

Fewer XP requirements paired with fewer quests? It‘s a snoozefest double whammy that lets you blaze through to the good stuff faster!

Will Square Enix Prune More Quests in the Future?

If you’re worried about potential quest pruning in other expansions, Square Enix has implied they aren’t done slimming down ARR just yet.

Yoshi-P said the development team will “re-evaluate” past content and make further adjustments where necessary. So we will likely see additional side quests removed from ARR in future updates.

That said, they won’t make cuts lightly. The focus seems to be on chopping side content only – retaining main story beats that fans love. Expect surgical trims rather than sweeping demolition.

Beyond ARR, Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers will also undergo evaluations for quests that could be removed. The goal is keeping engagement high at all levels, not just endgame.

So fear not, brave warrior! Yoshi-P knows we want a lean, mean questing machine. More tightening is likely on the way.

Can You Still Complete Removed Quests?

Understandably, you might worry about losing access to certain quest rewards due to all these removals. The good news is Square Enix made sure to keep beneficial quests intact.

Although removed from the default flow, many side quests can still be unlocked manually to obtain their rewards. This includes job quests, emotes, minions, orchestrion rolls, and more.

For example, job quests like the level 50 patrons were removed from the main scenario steps. But players can still pick up and complete them to unlock key job abilities. Phew!

Basically, if a side quest offered something useful, it can likely be tracked down. Only purely skippable quests got axed entirely.

Most Welcome Cuts Removed Menial Chores

While no quest is completely useless, some stood out as blatantly padding player time with tedium. Cutting these “chores” hugely improved the pace of ARR.

A few of the most celebrated removals include:

• The Company of Heroes – Had you running all over doing odd jobs for NPCs unrelated to the plot. Pure filler.
• Foul Play – Gathering goblin dung samples and underpants added nothing valuable…and was just weird.
• A Bad Bladder – Collecting urine from beasts was similarly uncomfortable and unnecessary. Good riddance!
• Hearts and Minds – Consoling random NPCs with no story connections felt pointless.

By eliminating these time-wasting activities, the core ARR storyline flows much better. Kudos to Square Enix for taking out the trash!

What Could Future Cuts Look Like?

While Square Enix removed the worst offenders back in 5.3, ARR can still be refined further in my opinion.

If I was on the development team, here are some categories of quests I’d evaluate for potential future cuts:

• More generic kill and fetch side quests that are simply forgettable.
• Crafting questlines for gear that has long been irrelevant.
• Fetch quests that have you ping-ponging around the world gathering arbitrary items.
• Job quests that meander without unlocking meaningful abilities.
• Brief cutscenes centered on NPCs unlikely to reappear.
• Dungeon side stories only loosely related to the activity.

Again, I don’t think they’ll take out huge chunks – just some surgical trims here and there. But those types of quests are what I’d look at first if tasked with tightening things up even further!

What Should You Do Before More Quests Are Removed?

For new players, removed quests won’t impact you at all since they‘re already gone from the experience.

But if you have an existing character still progressing through ARR, listen up! Here are some tips:

• Get caught up to Heavensward so you don’t risk having future quests removed mid-playthrough.
• Complete side quests with rewards you may want before they potentially disappear.
• Wrap up all available job quests and make any desired job switches in major cities before questlines are trimmed.

Following that advice will help ensure you don‘t miss out on any quest-related unlocks and rewards as changes roll out down the road.

Slimming Down ARR Was a Clear Win

Based on overwhelmingly positive community feedback, reducing quest bloat in ARR was an excellent move by Square Enix.

Importantly, they only cut supplementary content – not core story beats. This refresh respected veteran players while making the journey faster for newcomers.

Also, it shows Square Enix cares about tightening up outdated expansions rather than just endgame. Refining old systems demonstrates a commitment to quality at all levels.

Personally, I’m thrilled to see ARR become closer in scope to later expansions like Heavensward. It reduces the early game barrier without compromising narrative continuity. That’s a clear win-win!

In closing, I hope this deep dive helped explain exactly how many quests got removed from ARR. Let me know if you have any other questions! Whether you’re a sprout or a seasoned veteran, we can all agree less filler quests means more meaningful fun. Keep fighting the good fight, my friend.