It's basically a tradition at this point to try and guess what's coming in the next expansion for your favorite MMO. New classes and playable races arrive with just about every new expansion for Final Fantasy 14 and World of Warcraft, and it sends both communities into a craze over any clues they can find, real or not.
Today, Final Fantasy 14 players are studying a pair of disembodied legs hoping to identify a new playable race coming in the Dawntrail expansion next year. The leading theory is that the legs are owned by a female version of the male Hrothgar race–-who are basically lion men—that already exist in the game.
Reddit user Drbiohazmat pulled the legs out of the patch 6.5 cutscene and found a hole where a tail should be. They also have hair all over and unique running and jumping animations compared to the MMO's other races. Another user, JustaPorgBoy, was able to view the full skeleton of the legs and found bones (objects for 3D animating) for a face, ears, and tail that resemble the male Hrothgars.
Male Hrothgar were added in 2019's Shadowbringers expansion along with female Viera (bunny girls). But only the Viera got a male version in the Endwalker expansion two years later, leaving lion girl hopefuls wondering when their day would come. Concept art for female Hrothgar was spotted in 2021, so it's possible the leg detectives are onto something.
[Spoiler: 6.5] Ending cutscene full model and details. from r/ffxiv
Previously, cutscene teases for new races used existing models and animations that were later replaced by new ones, but that doesn't necessarily mean the disembodied legs confirm anything. We'll probably have to wait until the London Fan Fest on October 21 to learn more, or worse, when Dawntrail launches in Summer 2024.
