How to put your custom character in the FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark

Ahead of the release of the Dawntrail expansion later this year, there’s a new Final Fantasy XIV Benchmark test available that lets players preview the 7.0 graphics update and make sure their PC is capable of handling the new visuals. This test isn’t available for the PlayStation or Xbox versions of FFXIV, so console players will have to sit this one out.

The most important thing that players are worried about, however, is how their custom Warriors of Light will look with the new graphics update in place. In addition to sprucing up environments and adding new levels of detail to each of the game’s zones, character models will be changed with the release of the Dawntrail expansion. Most FFXIV players are unhealthily attached to their custom characters, so this is a serious problem.

How to Add Your Custom Character to the FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark

If you want to test out the FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark with your custom Warrior of Light instead of the default player model, then there are a few steps you’ll need to take.

1. Download the FFXIV Dawntrail Benchmark.
2. Open Final Fantasy XIV.
3. Save your character’s appearance data to any slot.
4. Open the Dawntrail Benchmark.
5. Click Character Creation.
6. Click “Create Character” and then select “Load Appearance Data.”

From there, you can import your saved appearance into the Dawntrail Benchmark and your custom Warrior of Light will be there! You can then choose any gear set to use in the Dawntrail Benchmark from the dropdown menu when choosing your character. To check out the new Viper Job gear, just select Job-Specific Gear. There are plenty of other gear sets to choose from, too.

If you don’t know how to save your character’s appearance data in the first place, it’s a relatively straightforward process. Just open FFXIV and proceed to the character selection menu. Then, just right-click your character and you should see an option to save their appearance data. Pick any slot and name it whatever you want. Once it’s saved, you’ll be able to instantly pull up your custom character’s appearance any time when creating new characters in FFXIV or any FFXIV Benchmarks.

The new 7.0 graphics update makes Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail look significantly better than previous FFXIV expansions, but the character changes are a mixed bag. The development team will continue to make visual changes through the release of 7.0, though, so it’s not the end of the world if your Warrior of Light looks a little weird right now. Before Dawntrail launches, make sure to wrap up any limited-time Endwalker content like the Final Fantasy XVI crossover event.