FF16: The Rising Tide DLC Map Size Compared To The Base Game

Summary The Rising Tide DLC adds a new region, Mysidia, about as big as one of FF16's base game regions.

Mysidia is a seaside valley characterized by semi-tropical climate, dense forests, ancient ruins, and rocky cliffs with waterfalls.

The DLC explores the mystery of Leviathan in a coastal area adjacent to the ocean, expanding on Eikon lore and Valisthean history.

Final Fantasy 16's second DLC, The Rising Tide, adds a whole new region to its map - but in terms of size, that could mean many different things. Although it has a pretty sizable world map, FF16 is not an open-world game. Each region varies in size, and is connected to the next one only in limited, specified areas, and players can't travel to most of them until they unlock new areas through the story. Despite this linearity, most map regions open up completely as soon as they're unlocked, providing plenty of opportunity for exploration.

Things aren't too different in The Rising Tide. It's primarily set in a single new region - Mysidia - located to the north of the base game's map. Still, an entire, multi-hour DLC is inevitably going to take up a pretty big chunk of land. So, here's everything to know about how big FF16's DLC map region is, and how players can expect to navigate it.

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FF16: The Rising Tide's New Map Compared To The Base Game

How Big Mysidia Really Is

Simply put, Mysidia, the new map region introduced by FF16's Rising Tide DLC, is about as big as one of the larger regions in the base game. Think Dhalmekia, not Waloed. In real-world units, that probably puts it at roughly 0.77 square miles (two square kilometers), the size of FF16's largest open regions. Also like Dhalmekia, Mysidia combines narrower, more developed city streets with wider-open wild areas. Players can wander the roads of Haven or get lost in the wilderness to the north - there's plenty to find, both secluded in back alleys and tucked away beneath old-growth trees.

How FF16's Mysidia Connects To The Rest Of Valisthea

How To Start The Rising Tide DLC

Mysidia is located to the north of FF16's base map - it's actually visible on the map screen, even if players haven't purchased the DLC. Notice the darkened region at the uppermost point of Valisthea, northwest of Sanbreque, mostly covered in Blight, but with a handful of lighter, sandy-colored areas - that's Mysidia, or at least most of it is. It's primarily connected to the rest of the map through Northreach, a farming village outside Sanbreque's holy capital of Oriflamme.

Indeed, Clive will have to travel to Northreach to find Mysidia and begin The Rising Tide. Once players have finished the main quest up to "Back to their Origin," along with the FF16 side quests "Where There's A Will" and "Priceless," they'll receive a letter, which they can check via Clive's reading table. The unsigned letter explains that Leviathan's Dominant is in need of help, and directs Clive to speak with a woman named Leyla in Northreach. Leyla sends Clive further north, to a campsite in a secluded area away from even the rural villages outside Oriflamme.

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To some extent, that's how the free city of Haven has escaped Sanbrequian notice despite its proximity: it exists in an isolated, Blight-plagued region far to the north, a place with no strategic utility to which few would ever dare to venture. Still, the dark secret of Leviathan's Dominant suggests things aren't as peaceful in Mysidia as they may appear.

Mysidia Is A Large, Seaside Region That Adds New Biomes To FF16's Map

What Kind Of Terrain Is Included In The Rising Tide DLC

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Mysidia is unlike any other region on FF16's map to date. It's closest to Northreach, which is defined by its fertile plains and vast valleys. There are some similarities in Mysidia: it's mostly set in a valley, although distant mountains are visible when looking to the north. However, Mysidia is also characterized by its semi-tropical climate. Palm trees are visible in certain places, especially within the ruins of the Aire of Hours. Further from the shore, it also boasts dense, dark forests, dotted with ancient structures and monster dens.

Mysidia is also immediately recognizable for its rocky cliffs, some of which include waterfalls tumbling downward. These add a vertical element to FF16's DLC map, increasing the explorable area. Presumably, these smaller bodies of water all flow into the ocean eventually. Like most water-adjacent lands, Mysidia also has a long history of civilization. It's filled with ruins both big and small, primarily the now-Tonberry-infested Aire of Hours. Its main settlement is Haven, a small town centered on an area miraculously spared the ravages of the Blight.

The abundance of water has an enormous impact on the people and culture of Mysidia, particularly as it relates to their religious beliefs in Leviathan.

Given that it explores one of FF16's biggest mysteries, the lost Eikon of Water Leviathan, it only makes sense that The Rising Tide DLC takes place in a coastal area. Mysidia is located along the northern shore of Valisthea, and so it's immediately adjacent to the ocean. From high points and along the coastline, players will have a near-constant view of its crystalline waters as they explore The Rising Tide's new map region. Still, don't expect to traverse the sea directly, or even to discover what's beyond the borders of Valisthea. The rest of FF16's world remains a mystery, even after exploring Mysidia.

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Mysidia's most distinct geographical feature is the giant, watery anomaly that juts out from the land into the sea. It looks like a giant ocean wave frozen in time, and almost resembles one of the Mothercrystals connected to the Eikons in FF16. This stunning sight was clearly visible from Northreach even before The Rising Tide's release, almost as if it was baiting players into speculating on the DLC. And indeed, traveling toward and investigating the anomaly is a major part of the DLC's plot, so players can expect to get a lot closer to this strange formation in The Rising Tide.

Mysidia might not be much bigger than the average FF16 region, but it contains plenty of activity. That's why, even though the DLC only contains about three hours' worth of story content, fully exploring the new region could take up to ten. It may not meaningfully change the ending, or give players the happy conclusion that they wanted, but The Rising Tide's additions to the map greatly expand on the lore of Eikons, Dominants, and Valisthea as a whole. As a result, the DLC is much more than a new map region for Final Fantasy 16 - it's a substantial story expansion.