FFXIV Retainer Ventures Guide – How to Make Passive Income
In the bustling world of Final Fantasy XIV, earning Gil can feel like a full-time job—whether you're busy crafting raid consumables, farming tomestones, or running market board flips. But did you know that you can earn Gil passively, even while offline? Enter Retainer Ventures, one of FFXIV's most underrated and efficient systems for steady Gil income.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Retainer Ventures, how to unlock them, and the most effective setups to maximize your passive income. If you're short on time or just want a faster start, MmoGah offers safe and fast FF14 Gil services, helping you skip the grind and enjoy the game your own way..
What Are Retainer Ventures?
Retainer Ventures are missions that you can send your retainers on to gather items while you're busy adventuring — or even logged out! They function similarly to real-time missions in other games, taking anywhere from 1 hour to 18 hours to complete.
Each venture type grants different rewards, and your retainer's job level and equipment dictate the quality and variety of items they can bring back. From crafting materials to rare minions, retainer ventures are a steady source of passive resources and Gil.
How to Unlock Retainer Ventures
To start using Retainer Ventures, follow these steps:
- Complete the Level 17 MSQ titled "The Scions of the Seventh Dawn".
- Head to any Summoning Bell and hire a retainer (you can hire up to two for free; more require subscription add-ons).
- Purchase Venture Tokens from your Grand Company with Company Seals or from the Market Board.
- Assign your retainer a class or job (Miner, Botanist, Fisher, or combat classes).
Once set up, you'll gain access to new Retainer Venture options based on the retainer's level.
Types of Retainer Ventures
There are several types of ventures, each with different benefits:
1. Quick Exploration (Random Loot)
Duration: 1 hour
Requirements: Level 10+
Best For: Minions, collectibles, rare items
Why Use: High chance to get minions, emotes, and glamour items that sell for high prices
Tip: Let your combat retainer run Quick Explorations daily for rare minions (like the Wind-up Sun or Sugar Bowl)
2. Class-Specific Ventures (Gathering or Combat)
Gathering Ventures: Miner, Botanist, Fisher
Battle Ventures: Based on the retainer's combat class
Best For: Gathering valuable crafting materials
Tip: Level your retainer to match your own or gear them up to maximize item quantity and HQ chance.
3. 18-Hour Ventures
Duration: 18 hours
Best For: Rare and expensive materials, relic components, special items
Why Use: Set overnight or while away; sometimes bring high-value loot
Tip: Unlock these via MSQ progress—you'll discover them as the story unfolds.
Best Classes for Profit
Gatherers (Miner/Botanist)
Gathering retainers are great for farming Endwalker materials (Eblan Alumen, Chondrite Ore, etc.), glamour item materials, and crafting items for popular recipes. Selling crafted items through the Market Board is a constant source of profit. Gathered materials always sell especially well after patch releases.
Combat Classes
Combat retainers can grab rare minions and glamour gear from Quick Ventures. They can also get loot from specific mobs and dungeons. Certain rare/unique drops only come from Quick Ventures and can be sold for significant amounts.
Maximizing Profit
Here are some pro tips to enhance your passive earnings:
Buy Ventures Smartly
Use Grand Company Seals to purchase Venture Tokens instead of Gil.
Farm seals via daily hunts, FATEs, or expert deliveries.
Gear Your Retainer Properly
Equip your retainer with your old gear—it determines the earned quantity and rarity of items.
Retainer level caps are based on your own job level, so keep your jobs up-to-date.
Check Venture Timings
Set 1-hour ventures during the day (e.g., while logged in)
Set 18-hour ventures at night or when busy
Market Strategy
Check the Market Board before selling loot—goods can spike during crafting or patch cycles.
Don't immediately sell rare items; explore price history or list during peak traffic hours.
Conclusion
Retainer Ventures are one of the simplest ways to generate passive income in FFXIV. Whether you're gathering valuable crafting materials, discovering rare minions, or earning steady gil through marketplace listings, retainers offer tremendous value with minimal effort.
Set up your retainers correctly, send them out regularly, keep an eye on market trends, and watch your coffers fill—silently and steadily. Ready to take things to the next level? Level your retainers, check the Venture boards, and let the passive Gil flow!