Today, during the celebrations for the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Tokyo, which TechRaptor attended, Square Enix had a few interesting announcements to share related to the popular MMORPG.
First of all, we learn that Final Fantasy XIV has now passed 30 million registered players.
Of course, this is a lifetime number, but it's still extremely flattering for a game that everyone considered a failure when the 1.0 version was released in 2010 and then managed to pull one of the most uplifting redemption stories in the history of the gaming industry with A Realm Reborn in 2013.
The announcement was made by producer and director Naoki Yosida, new CEO Takashi Kiryu (who also plays Final Fantasy XIV), and brand manager Yoshinori Kitase.
As a personal note, as a Final Fantasy XIV player who never left since the release of 1.0, I couldn't help but feel proud when the 30 million number appeared on Tokyo Dome's massive displays.
Yet, that number will likely increase further, as we learn more about the open beta of the Xbox Series X|S version.
It'll start in February, and the tentative date is the 21st, albeit it was mentioned that it could still change by a few days in either direction. This is a little later compared to the January start mentioned in October.
Update 2/5/2024: the February 21 release date for the open beta has been officially confirmed by Square Enix. The beginning time is set for 12:00 a.m. PST, 3:00 a.m. ESST, 8:00 a.m. GMT, or 9:00 a.m. CEST, depending on where you live.
Xbox players will be able to play with those on other platforms with full cross-play as soon as the beta starts, and progression will carry over into the full release (which was initially announced as some time in the spring)
Incidentally, we learn that the open beta has the same content, features, and limitations as the Free Trial version, on top of the fact that players won't be able to buy optional items from the Final Fantasy XIV online store.
You can download and install the game directly from the Microsoft store, and you'll be prompted to create a Square Enix account before you play.
You don't need Game Pass to play the open beta, but it will be required when the game fully launches.,
Unfortunately, if you are already playing the Free Trial version of the game, or the full game, you won't be able to participate in the open beta on the same Square Enix account. Existing players will be able to play on Xbox with their existing characters and accounts only when the game launches officially.
Lastly, we learn that the crossover event with Final Fantasy XVI titled The Path Infernal will be released in early April.
Final Fantasy XIV is now available for PS5, PS4, PC, and Mac. An expansion titled Dawntrail will be released in the summer of 2024.
Earlier today we saw the full trailer which revealed the Pictomancer job, which will add to the Viper revealed last year.
If you're interested in trying out the game before the expansion launches, you can purchase a copy on Amazon.
Back in October, the game was featured in the Fan Festival in London and in the newest Eorzean Symphony Orchestra Concert. If you have missed them, you can peruse our reports.
Note: TechRaptor participates in an Affiliate Partnership with Amazon.
