How To Stop Being A Sprout In FFXIV

FFXIV is one of the most popular MMORPGs out there with hours upon hours of content for players to enjoy. With so much to do, it can be daunting for new players first logging into the game, and trying to get to grips with how boss mechanics work. With so many abilities, different raid boss mechanics, weapons, items, and more to keep track of, needless to say, a couple of wipes here and there are inevitable. 

What Does Sprout Mean In FFXIV?

To help you justify to your veteran teammates why you were standing in the boss's AOE attack, Square Enix provides new players with a small leaf icon next to their name also known as a "Sprout." Sprouts may not have as deep a game knowledge as other players and the icon is meant to reduce toxicity in the same way learner drivers have to use "L" plates. 

That being said, if you feel like you understand the game enough or don't want people to know that you're new, you may want to get rid of the Sprout icon.

How To Stop Being A Sprout & Remove Icon In FFXIV

There are two ways to stop being a Sprout in FFXIV. The first is to play 168 hours on a single character and complete the Stormblood Main Scenario Quest "A Requiem for Heroes." If you really are a new player, this is going to take you a very, very long time to complete. 

Thankfully, there is another way to remove the Sprout icon. Simply type "/nastatus off" (without quotation marks) in the chat, and your Sprout icon will be removed. And, if you ever miss the days of being a Sprout, just type "/nastatus on" and it will come right back. 

Players are free to remove the Sprout icon as they wish, but most players in FFXIV are more than willing to accommodate Sprouts. If you are struggling with certain content, the Sprout icon may help you out in the long run as your party can explain new mechanics to you, instead of wiping over and over again because they assume you know the fight.