Final Fantasy XIV Won’t Become Free

Square Enix studio has no plans to turn Final Fantasy XIV into a free-to-play game in the near future. The world’s top MMORPG has released large portions of its gameplay for free access.

According to announcements at the Las Vegas Fan Fest, the company remains committed to gameplay. Each new expansion of its MMORPG has extended the free trial to include more and more of the game. In the next expansion Dawntrail, Stormblood will be included up to level 70 as part of the free trial.

However, Director Naoki Yoshida expressed doubts that the free trial was likely to be expanded further.

“I believe the free trial will continue to be expanded, but we have no plans of making the client itself free at the moment,” said Yoshida. “Since a huge amount of time and money has been invested in the expansion packages, the revenue from sales of the expansion package itself is still very important in order to continue to make expansions on this scale. We would like to constantly aim for the best on the business side as well to continue making a lot of content to be enjoyed.”

In addition, sales data shows that A Realm Reborn has been the lead game changer for the franchise. The release moves into its tenth anniversary following a rocky start. The company’s initial struggles came to an end after suspending the game and putting Yoshida in charge.

A Realm Reborn has proven extremely successful since then, becoming the company’s most profitable title in 2021. The rebound has also placed Square Enix on the list of the top-performing video games of all time.

Furthermore, the upcoming Dawntrail marks Final Fantasy 14’s first visual update in ten years. The release is expected in early 2024, bringing the game up to current standards while maintaining its artistic integrity.