March 27, 2013 - The fifth expansion, Seekers of Adoulin, is released after five and a half years since the previous expansion. Geomancer and rune fencer are added as new Extra Jobs. The PlayStation 2 version of Seekers of Adoulin, released after the PS2's retirement, is one of the last games to release for the console.

March 27, 2013 - Wildskeeper reives are added. Adventurers can join the fray to challenge the Naakuals, the seven most bloodthirsty hellions reigning over the wilds. The Naakuals can be weakened by increasing the colonization rate of their territory, but failure to do so tends to result in prolonged battles.

March 27, 2013 – A version update introduces the new Otherworldly Skirmishes battle content, in which adventurers travel to a mysterious realm resembling the continent of Ulbuka. Skirmishes can be entered with a simulacrum key item, which is assembled by combining three appropriate simulacrum segments. The magical properties of the combined segments determine the rank and other factors of the skirmish, such as time limit, area size, as well as the number and quality of rewards.

March 27, 2013 - Waypoints, magical devices enabling teleportation between locations, are placed around Adoulin areas. After a waypoint is unlocked, it can be used by expending points earned by using crystals.

April 30, 2013 – The new Delve battle content is added via version update, taking place in quasi-extradimensional caves in Eastern Ulbuka known as "fractures." Adventurers are called upon to explore the fractures and vanquish the notorious monsters and bosses lying in wait within the cavernous underground. Alternatively, certain notorious monsters can instead be called forth and engaged on the field, circumventing the need to battle them in the fracture.

July 9, 2013 – Pioneers are apportioned their own Mog Gardens, where they can take part in gardening, harvesting, and fishing.

July 9, 2013 - Item levels (ILv) are added to level 99 equipment. Instead of leveling up their character, players are now able to increase their stats by equipping items of higher item levels. As of 2021, item levels are capped at 119.

July 9, 2013 – Adjustments are made to the status modifiers of hand-to-hand, one-handed, and ranged weapons, bringing them in line with those of two-handed weapons. With this change, weapons of a similar rank no longer have vast differences in accuracy and attack.

July 9, 2013 – Elemental magic spells receive major adjustments to casting and recasting times, MP cost, and damage based on INT differences between caster and target. The changes allow low-tier spells to be cast in rapid succession, and also equalize casting and recasting times for spells of the same tier, regardless of element.

July 11, 2013 - Repeat Login Campaigns begin, a campaign where points are earned for logging into the game. The points can be traded for various in-game items which change every month. The campaign is still continuing to this day.

August 6, 2013 – Monstrosity is added. In this content, adventurers can unleash their souls upon various monsters and possess their spirit as a Monipulator, taking control of the monster to gain experience and infamy. This is later updated on November 2013, allowing Monipulators to battle other adventurers.

September 11, 2013 - The Nanaa Mihgo's, a band formed by FINAL FANTASY XI composer Naoshi Mizuta, keyboardist Takuro Iga, and violinist Machi Okabe, release their first album.

November 5, 2013 – The quest “Kupofried's Moogle Magic” is added, in which players can acquire weapon skills that could previously only be used when equipping the requisite empyrean weapon or weapon obtained in the Walk of Echoes. This requires forging the requisite weapon through Trial of the Magians.

November 5, 2013 – New high-tier battlefields are added, which are accessible by using a macrocosmic orb or microcosmic orb purchased with sacred kindred's crests. The battlefields, designed for level 99 adventurers, allow for selecting between five levels of difficulty, which affect not only the strength of enemies, but the type of spoils and amount of gil received for completing them. The most prominent rewards are Rem's Tale Ch.1 through Ch.5, which are needed for reforging artifact equipment.

November 5, 2013 – Quests are added in which players are able to reforge artifact armor, as well as relic, mythic, and empyrean weapons. The reforged items are given item levels, further increasing their stats. The reforging process involves two phases; the first phase increases the item level to 109, and the second phase increases the item level to 119.

November 5, 2013 – A second special ability is added to each job, which can be learned at level 96.

November 5, 2013 – The first episode of Freshly Picked Vana'diel is broadcast. In this live broadcast series, Producer Matsui and Director Fujito go over version update information. This begins as a monthly series but is currently broadcast on a bi-monthly schedule.

December 11, 2013 – A version update introduces high-tier mission battlefields featuring level 99 versions of familiar foes who were originally encountered through various missions. Adventurers seeking to enter these battlefields must be in possession of a phantom gem, key items which can be exchanged for merit points. Rewards include equipment and Rem's Tale Ch.6 through Ch.10, which are used to reforge artifact equipment.

The first high-tier mission battlefields are the five ★Ark Angel encounters and ★Divine Might, and later version updates would reintroduce other enemies in their own battlefields as well.

December 11, 2013 – Various additions and updates are included in this version update. The Trust Initiative allows solo players to form parties with NPCs. Records of Eminence is added as tutorial with rewards. Home point teleportation is added, movement speed is increased for all characters, Wide Scan becomes available for all jobs, and more.

December 11, 2013 – The introduction of Records of Eminence enables adventurers to complete objectives to earn Sparks of Eminence, which can be exchanged for various items, including skill-increasing tomes which increase combat or magic skills upon use. This eases the process of maximizing hard-to-raise skills, such as guard, enhancing magic, summoning magic, and geomancy.