Chocobo Racing and Breeding are perhaps the most intimidating aspects of FFXIV Gold Saucer. There’s so much to cover, you might not know where to start or where to go next. I will cover as much content as possible in this guide to help you understand this mini-game faster. So, let’s talk about Chocobo!

Chocobo Racing Unlock

Chocobo Racing can be unlocked by completing Race Chocobo Registrar's quest “So You Want to Be a Jockey” in Gold Saucer. You unlock racing by talking to Katering in Bentbranch Meadows to advance the quest and complete “So You Think You Can Ride This Chocobo” quest.

Registering A Race Chocobo

However, before you can race Chocobo, you need to register it. In order to register your chocobo, you must present your Fledgling’s Registration Form to Race Chocobo Trainer and choose a name for your chocobo. Names can be one or two words. There are many to choose from. I’ve seen some really creative Chocobo names, enjoy this one!

Once complete, you can contact your registrar again to register for a training session. Once you learn the basics, you’re ready to race!

Racing

Next, you can enter the race by talking to the registrar or accessing them in your Duty Finder from anywhere. You can find Racing in Gold Saucer tab. In these matches, you will compete against NPCs or other players for FFXIV MGP. It may take 1-2 minutes for you to enter the game. If no other players want to team up, you’ll be alone against a group of NPC riders.

You can also form your own team for these competitions. There will be no MGP rewards for ranking this way, but you can compete with your friends. NPC riders will fill the remaining spots on the roster.

Racing itself is fairly simple, just be the first to cross the finish line. Your Chocobo will automatically jog forward so you can control running, jumping, and steering. These things contain boosters that can help you in the race. These things can speed you up or slow you down.

When you run, your physical energy will also consume a lot of energy. If you get lathered from running for long periods of time, it will deplete faster your energy. You can decelerate by pressing the button, but it’s all covered in the training sessions.

Finally, based on your ranking in the competition, you will be rewarded with MGP and XP. In addition, there is a lucky bird that will receive random XP rewards.

Chocobo Retired & Breeding

We can advance your Chocobo up to level 50, but you can retire them once you hit level 40. You just have to go to Chocobokeep at the match counter and accept the quest “Like Sire Like Fledgling” to get started. You will need two Chocobo Registration Forms in order to arrange coverage breeding at Katering in Bentbranch Meadows.

You will need a male and a female Chocobo. You can find the one you’re missing at Tack and Feed Trader on the race counter. We’re then going to take the two to Katering for the covering to be arranged.

Once complete, you can return to pick up your fledgling at the time given on your Evidence of Coverage. Then the process starts all over again. But you can always check your Race Chocobo in Gold Saucer menu. This will show you their Attributes, Abilities, Appearance, Pedigree, and Preferred Weather. Its stats increase with rank, but can be further increased through training.

Training

I did training using unique food that you can get with every stat you perform with the trainer. They divided foods into three “grades,” with increasing benefits. We can get the first two with FFXIV Gil on Market Board or Tack shop, while we can only exchange the third and highest level for MGP. Each level can be trained once, up to 50 times.

Maximum Speed is a measure of how fast Chocobo can run at top speed. Acceleration affects how quickly Chocobo can reach its top speed. Endurance increases Chocobo’s running speed before suffering Lathered status. Stamina will increase Chocobo’s total stamina. Cunning increases speed and reduces stamina drain in rough terrain.

We can exchange Chocobo abilities from Tack and Feed Trader. In addition to abilities learned through genetics, you can also teach an ability. When your Chocobo is retired, the one that was passed on will be “Fondly Remembered.”

Finally, every time you breed Chocobo, it pushes the racing line further. I hope all of this got you excited about Chocobo Racing and Breeding. The more you do, the easier it is to win. See you in the game!