Hello, everyone!  

It's Ali from the FFXIV Marketing team back with another event recap! We had an amazing opportunity to come to Anime Expo this year and celebrate with Yoshi-P who was invited as a Guest of Honor! I'm also thrilled to be joined by Minaryne from the Community team who has a lovely recap of the Cosplay Gathering at Anime Expo and our Downtown Los Angeles Gathering! 

From Costa del Sol to Kugane  
Our booth had two key areas with very different vibes! The amazing illustration of Y'shtola enjoying a day at the beach, courtesy of Natsu Kawasaki, brought the summer vibes to the New Player Experience. Y'shtola herself even stopped by to pose with the incredible art!  

Sprouts could jump into the character creator and get a taste for what to expect when starting their adventures in Eorzea. Around the corner was a picturesque photo spot featuring gorgeous art of Kugane. Attendees could use familiar parasols and pose amidst the cherry blossoms. Attendees could swing by the Kugane-themed redemption counter once they had completed their stamp rally cards to receive lots of goodies!  

/gpose 
Attendees stopped by the photo spot and showed off their amazing cosplay. Yoshi-P and Foxclon of course had to stop by to take a photo, and even our friends from the Trash Taste Podcast swung by for a quick pic!   

The Loot 
Attendees walked away with lots of fun goodies, from our big tote bags to the jet-tag keychains! 

Treat Yo Self 
Square Enix Merchandise was present at the booth as well with a wide selection of FFXI, FFXIV, and FFXVI merchandise! The fat cat plush was particularly popular, and they even had brand-new t-shirts featuring our beachy Y'shtola illustration available for attendees to purchase!

2 Fast 2 Froth and Foam ♪ 
Sharp-eyed attendees may have spotted our FFXIV Itasha Car driving around the convention center throughout the weekend! Yoshi- P had to stop and pose with the Y'shtola-themed Jaguar!   

Leveling Up: How Anime, Manga, & RPGs inspired Naoki Yoshida and FINAL FANTASY!  
Yoshi-P gave us some insight into his personal lore, talking about his career in gaming and how his love for anime, manga, and games inspired him! If you missed it, you can check it out on Twitch! 

Another Group Pose?!
On the day of the Guest of Honor panel, the teams caught wind of Warriors of Light celebrating FFXIV through cosplay. We thought it would be fun to stop by with a surprise. Both Yoshi-P and Foxclon surprised the Warriors of Light with their presence. Thank you to everyone who braved the summer heat to join us for this moment! 

Downtown Los Angeles Gathering 
Following the end of Anime Expo, we headed to the NOVO VIP Lounge within the LA LIVE area for an evening of fun with local WoLs.

The VIP Lounge bar sported several Dawntrail-themed beverages, both alcoholic & non-alcoholic, and were coupled with minion-themed drink stirrers.  

Speaking of minions, the Bingo activity tested the attendees' knowledge of minion names.  

The lounge also had a photobooth so that everyone could create an awesome souvenir.  

Look at our special guests having fun! Yoshi-P and Foxclon were hanging out with attendees and assisting with the raffle.!  

We hope the attendees had a fun time with us. We hope to have more of these events in North America in the future. 

Thanks again to all of the sprouts and Warriors of Light who joined us for Anime Expo 2025 or tuned in to the livestream! We can't wait to see you at the next event!   

- Ali and Minaryne 
Marketing and Community Team