Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail features a huge throwback to FF10, and it's not Blitzball

gamesradar.com:

While Final Fantasy 14 has plenty of its own ideas, some of the more endearing parts of the MMO come from the series' past. Patch 7.0, called Dawntrail, will be no different, with a race from Final Fantasy 10 joining the party. 

Director and producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed at Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest that the Pelupelu race will be a common sight on the new island of Tural. Described as a diminutive people inhabiting a new location called Urqopacha, "they're seldom seen without their distinctive masks." They're also noted as "natural entrepreneurs who travel the continent" on alpacas and are especially known for producing tea, coffee, and mezcal.

While we'll be waiting until Summer 2024 to meet them good and proper, they've appeared in the series before. The Pelupelu appear prominently in Final Fantasy X and X-2, fashioned in their bird-like masks and appearing no taller than a child. Is it the Blitzball we've all been keen to see? Not quite, though it's another way the MMO makes an endearing nod to the series' past. 

As for the land they inhabit, Yoshida said during Fan Fest that Tural is locked in a succession crisis and that the Scions are here to help. It's a conflict that'll divide the group, with everyone being forced to take a side. Patch 7.0 promises plenty of lighter moments though, with Yoshi-P saying they want Dawntrail to feel like the best summer vacation ever.

Elsewhere at Fan Fest, Square Enix has announced that the Free Trial is extending to Stormblood and that Final Fantasy 14 is coming to Xbox.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail is due to release next summer.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail adds two new DPS jobs, and Yoshi-P might be baiting us over what they are.