Ultimate raids represent the peak of difficulty in Final Fantasy XIV, demanding exceptional coordination, mechanical mastery, and group commitment. As of 2025, there are six Ultimate encounters in the game: The Unending Coil of Bahamut (UCoB), The Weapon’s Refrain (UWU), The Epic of Alexander (TEA), Dragonsong’s Reprise (DSR), The Omega Protocol (TOP), and the most recent, Futures Rewritten (FRU). While “easy” is always relative—every Ultimate is challenging even for experienced groups—some encounters are noticeably more forgiving, shorter, or mechanically simpler than others. This updated 2025 tier list ranks them from easiest to hardest, based on current strategies, skill accessibility, and overall progression difficulty. If you’re aiming for clears, weapons, or titles but don’t have a static or the time to prog, MmoGah also provides safe and professional FFXIV Boost services for Ultimate Raid to help you complete any fight smoothly.
1. The Weapon’s Refrain (UWU) – Easiest
Released: Stormblood
Estimated Prog Time (Average Group): 30–50 hours
UWU remains the most approachable Ultimate in 2025. The fight is mechanically consistent, and the community has refined strategies to the point where every mechanic—from Fire/Ice debuffs to Garuda’s Wicked Wheel timings—is well-documented and easy to replicate.
Why It’s the Easiest:
- Predictable mechanics with minimal RNG
- Shorter overall duration than later Ultimates
- Generous DPS checks with modern gear
- Players can recover from some early mistakes
Phase transitions are clean, and once groups master Ifrit dashes, Titan jails, and the Ultima phase LTNs (Limit Threshold Neurons), clears come naturally. For first-time Ultimate raiders, UWU remains the ideal entry point.
2. The Unending Coil of Bahamut (UCoB)
Released: Stormblood
Estimated Prog Time: 50–80 hours
UCoB is slightly more demanding than UWU due to longer phases, tighter execution, and punishing mechanics like Twisters and Dives. While item-level increases have softened DPS checks, the fight remains a major test of consistency.
Why It’s Harder than UWU:
- Very long fight duration (13+ minutes)
- Twisters, Fireballs, and Dives cause instant wipes
- LB3 timing and healer mitigation matter more
Still, UCoB is fully solvable with practice, and groups familiar with Stormblood design patterns adapt quickly. Many consider it an endurance check rather than a mechanical gauntlet, placing it comfortably above UWU but far below the Shadowbringers and Endwalker Ultimates.
3. The Epic of Alexander (TEA)
Released: Shadowbringers
Estimated Prog Time: 80–140 hours
TEA marks a considerable jump in complexity, introducing puzzle-like mechanics such as Pantokrator, Fate Calibration, and Limit Cut sequences that require memorization and precise movements. The fight is also long, with multiple “fake clears” that punish late-phase mistakes.
Why TEA Is Mid-Tier Difficulty:
- Heavy emphasis on role-specific responsibilities
- Multiple personal responsibility mechanics
- Enrage and uptime optimization are more important
- Requires strong communication and positioning discipline
TEA is still very achievable for static groups, but the level of mechanical precision—especially during Fate Calibration Beta and the Perfect Alexander finale—pushes it well above Stormblood Ultimates.
4. Futures Rewritten (FRU)
Released: Dawntrail
Estimated Prog Time: 120–180 hours
As the newest Ultimate in 2025, FRU is fresh, fast-paced, and mechanically dense. While not quite as punishing as TOP or DSR, it sits solidly in the “hard” category due to its execution-heavy design and unforgiving transitions.
Key Difficulty Factors:
- High movement precision, especially in Eikon mechanics
- No downtime phases; damage and mechanics occur constantly
- Tight DPS checks despite modern gear
- Extremely punishing final phase with little recovery room
FRU is designed around rapid adjustments and frequent role switching. It also asks players to balance movement with uptime more tightly than previous Ultimates. It lands at #4 because it is very difficult, but not yet infamous like DSR or TOP.
5. Dragonsong’s Reprise (DSR)
Released: Endwalker
Estimated Prog Time: 150–250 hours
DSR has a reputation as one of the longest and most emotionally taxing Ultimates. While not the absolute hardest anymore, it remains a monumental challenge due to its narrative-driven multi-phase structure and several extremely tight checks.
Why DSR Is Near the Top:
- One of the longest fights in FFXIV (19+ minutes)
- P6 "Dragonsong Dive" and P7 Thordan EX are notorious walls
- Minimal recovery—small mistakes often cause full wipes
- High demand for perfect consistency across all roles
Much of DSR’s difficulty lies in the sheer mental stamina required. Even with optimized strats and high ilvl gear, groups face countless wipes to tiny missteps. It is easier than TOP in raw execution but harder in endurance.
6. The Omega Protocol (TOP) – Hardest
Released: Endwalker
Estimated Prog Time: 200–350+ hours
TOP stands as the hardest Ultimate raid in FFXIV as of 2025. Every phase is dense with layered mechanics, and the fight tests not only individual execution but group synchronization at a level unmatched by previous Ultimates.
What Makes TOP the Hardest:
- Extremely complex movement and timing (P2, P3, P5)
- High personal responsibility—one mistake wipes the party
- Strict uptime expectations for all DPS
- Tightest DPS and healing checks of any Ultimate
- Nonstop mental load from beginning to end
Phases like Hello World, Run: Dynamis, and Party Synergy are infamous progression walls that even veteran groups struggle with. TOP demands perfection more consistently than any other encounter.
Final Tier List Summary (Easiest → Hardest)
UWU – The Weapon’s Refrain
UCoB – The Unending Coil of Bahamut
TEA – The Epic of Alexander
FRU – Futures Rewritten
DSR – Dragonsong’s Reprise
TOP – The Omega Protocol
