The Chocobos of Final Fantasy can do just about anything, apparently! These adorable flightless golden bird mounts aren’t only for transportation or for fighting—they can also be bred for racing! This guide will cover the basics of Chocobo Racing for FFXIV account holders who are new to this unique feature of the game. Learn more about it in the article below!

So You Want to Be a Jockey Quest on your FFXIV Account

Hold your Chocobos! Before you start racing on your own over at the Gold Saucer, you first have to complete the “So You Want to Be a Jockey” quest line on your FFXIV account. Prompt the quest and you will then be invited to participate in sanctioned Chocobo races held by the Gold Saucer; however, you must first secure a trained Race Chocobo. Simply head to Moogle’s Gift Mounts in Gridania’s Bentbranch Meadows to speak to Katering and the rest will follow.

Chocobo Races, Manderville Gold Saucer, and MGP on your FFXIV Account

Through Chocobo Racing, Final Fantasy 14 account holders are able to act as breeders, trainers, and jockeys of their Chocobos. They can enter their well-bred and carefully trained Chocobos into races to increase their ranks to win Manderville Gold Saucer Points (MGP), which can be used to acquire a variety of Gold Saucer-exclusive rewards such as weapons, armor, etc. MGP can actually be bought with Gil on your Final Fantasy 14 account, though you cannot sell MGP back.

Chocobo Rankings on your FFXIV Account

Chocobos earn EXP from racing, which increases their rank. Every time its rank increases, +5 points will be distributed to random stats, as well as a feeding opportunity. By feeding your Chocobo, you can increase one of its stats by 1% — 3% of the stat cap based on its Feed. Grade 1 Feed increases 1%, Grade 2 Feed increases 2%, and Grade 3 Feed increases 3% of the stat cap. One such example is if you feed your Chocobo with a Grade 2 Feed with Speed Blend, it will increase the Chocobo’s Max Speed by 2%. This way, you can control which area your Chocobo will excel at. Will it be Cunning? Endurance? Stamina? You have the freedom to decide!

At Rank 10, your Chocobo will gain a random ability. At Rank 40, you can retire your Chocobo to use it for Breeding another Chocobo. The max rank is at 50; after that, your Chocobo will no longer earn EXP or rank up. Note that the higher your Chocobo’s Pedigree, the more EXP it needs to rank up.

Chocobo Stats and Effects on your FFXIV Account

The stats of your Chocobo are shown in the form (current stats) / (stat cap). Every time your Chocobo ranks up, all stats are increased automatically. Additionally, they can be increased through training with Feed, which we have discussed earlier. All gains through all sources are proportional to your respective maximum in that stat.

Your first Chocobo will start off with 1 Pedigree Level and 2 Star Rating in all stats so it will have stat cap of 100 in all stats. A Chocobo with Pedigree of 2 and 2 Stars in all stats will have stat cap of 140. The maximum stat cap is 500. It requires a Pedigree Level 9 Chocobo with all 4 Star Ratings on your Final Fantasy XIV account.

Refer below for the different stats and effects:

• ACCELERATION affects how quickly your Chocobo can attain maximum speed.
• CUNNING affects how effectively your Chocobo can navigate a course without slowing down.
• ENDURANCE affects how long your Chocobo can run before becoming exhausted.
• MAXIMUM SPEED affects how quickly your Chocobo can run.
• STAMINA affects how quickly your Chocobo’s stamina bar drains.

That’s about it for the first part of the guide! Stay tuned for the next article on the basics of raising Chocobos! Have fun playing!