After more than a decade on PC and console Final Fantasy XIV comes to smartphones. Square Enix’s hit MMO unveiled a mobile version this week that has the potential to attract millions of new players to the rich RPG world of Hydaelyn. It also raises a lot of questions about how exactly a mobile version of the subscription-based multiplayer game will work.
The port is being developed by Tencent-owned Lightspeed Studios and will focus on the standard version of FFXIV called An empire rebornwhich first launched in 2013 as a complete 2.0 rework of the base game. The game doesn’t have a release date yet, but when it does release it will feature nine job classes and activities like fishing, chocobo racing, and the card game Triple Triad.
“This is our latest MMORPG title tailored specifically for the mobile platform. “Despite these adjustments, Lightspeed Studios works with enormous enthusiasm and dedication to faithfully recreate the story, quests, combat content and other aspects of the original game,” said director Naoki Yoshida in a new trailer announcing the project.
Lightspeed Studios also developed the mobile version of PUBG which is full of microtransactions, and Square Enix’s other mobile games are also packed with stamina meters and gacha mechanics. Will be a mobile version of FFXIV Be free to play, with cooldown mechanics and new in-game currencies? Will there be a standard monthly subscription fee that players can pay to simply enjoy the game as they otherwise could have on console? Will there be a crossover between the two versions, with existing extensions such as Heavenward And Stormblood Do you come every year?
The current announcement is a nice surprise, but it’s light on details, perhaps because Lightspeed and Square Enix don’t yet know exactly how all of this stuff will work either. One thing is clear: this is it FFXIV on smartphones should be an easy way to integrate new players into the world of MMOs. “You can experience the game in your own way, whether alone or with other players.” a new website for the mobile port is. “Beginners and mentors, party members, and even adventurers you meet randomly can become your friends.”
Currently, FFXIV is easy enough to play on PC, PlayStation and Xbox. A free trial mode allows you to experience much of the game before having to pay anything. And who knows, maybe this upcoming mobile port is a way for Square Enix to bring the MMORPG to Switch 2 down the road.
Update 11/20/2024 1:00 p.m. ET: According to one Interview with FamitsuYoshida said that the game will be free-to-play and will not contain any gacha elements. Various outfits and mounts, however, will be available in the in-game shop. “The monetization will be such that all players can enjoy the game for a long time,” the director said via Famitsu.
