It’s been a strong couple of years for Final Fantasy 14 (styled as Final Fantasy XIV). In 2019, the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released its third expansion, Shadowbringers, to widespread critical acclaim. This major content release sits at a strong 90/100 on Metacritic, with an equally glowing user score.
Looking at the future, Square Enix recently announced Endwalker, its fourth expansion due out in Fall 2021, which will take Warriors of Light to mystical new locales including the Moon. Final Fantasy 14 is also making its way to PS5, with those who own the game on PS4 eligible for a free upgrade.
Even though the future of FF14 is looking rather rosy, the development team at Square Enix has struggled with the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s made no secret of this fact, as months-long content delays were met with apologies from the team. Aside from these hiccups, though, Final Fantasy 14 has managed to keep a somewhat steady patch release schedule throughout Shadowbringers, keeping players engaged with new story quests, raids and other unique forms of content.
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But what makes Final Fantasy 14 stand out from the crowd? Unlike most other MMOs, FF14 focuses very broadly on its story. It’s a cutscene heavy experience with an abundance of stylized “old English” dialog and a wealth of lore for concepts both grand and small. Even much of the game’s side content will tie back into the main story in some way.
What is Final Fantasy 14?
Final Fantasy 14 is an MMORPG that was originally released in 2010. This version of the game, collectively referred to as “1.0,” was a far cry from the game players know and love today. Filled with bugs, confusing gameplay, needless progression roadblocks and poor optimization, it was soon shelved in order for the game to undergo a massive rework. This led to 2013’s release of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn on both PC and PlayStation 3.
Final Fantasy 14 is currently available on Windows 10, Steam and PlayStation 4. A PS5 version of the game is also on the way, with an open beta scheduled for release on April 13.
The PS5 version of Final Fantasy 14 boasts a high-resolution interface (something that has actually been lacking, even on the current PC and PS4 versions), much faster load times between areas, as well as support for 4K resolution and general improvements to performance.
As a massively multiplayer online game, the world of Final Fantasy 14 is shared among thousands of players simultaneously. Players can choose to undertake quests solo, or team up with other players and/or friends to tackle instances like dungeons, raid bosses and much more.
There’s a range of battle-oriented classes new players can choose in the character creation process. From axe-wielding Marauders to damage healing Conjurers and everything in between, the initial selection has something for everyone.
Don’t like the class you picked at the start? You can simply unlock another one by visiting the appropriate guild or non-player character (NPC). There’s no need to make another character to try out different classes, then, and even more will unlock as you progress through each expansion.
If you need to take a break from the frontlines, though, Final Fantasy 14 has you covered with a suite of crafting and gathering classes. Both are incredibly robust and many players spend the majority of their play time on these systems alone.
How can I play Final Fantasy 14?
Interested now? You’re in luck. Square Enix offers a free trial to all new players that haven’t subscribed in the past. The free trial is incredibly generous, allowing new Warriors of Light to experience the base game and the first expansion Heavensward in its entirety, with a level cap of 60. There’s no time limit on the free trial, either, so feel free to explore the land of Eorzea at your leisure.
If the free trial made a good impression, the Complete Edition is available for purchase on Windows, Steam and PS4. This retails at $39.99 (£34.99 /AU$50) when not on sale, and features all the game’s content up to and including the latest expansion, Shadowbringers. Keep in mind that the Complete Edition does go on sale somewhat regularly, usually for 50% off, so consider that if you’re on the fence.
Final Fantasy 14 does employ a monthly subscription fee of $12.99 (£8.99 /AU$10) if you want to enjoy the game long term, past the free trial restrictions.
Final Fantasy 14 PS5 release date, beta and news
Final Fantasy 14 PS5 release date, beta and news
Final Fantasy 14 Patch 5.5 trailer and details
Final Fantasy 14's next major patch, titled Death Unto Dawn, is scheduled for release on April 13, the same day the PS5 beta kicks off. Players can expect brand new story content, as well as witness the conclusions to numerous trial and raid related content.
In terms of the main scenario, the plot will be split into two parts. The first releases on the same day as the patch, April 13, with the latter half coming towards the end of May. This roughly six week gap aligns with Final Fantasy 14's mid-patch release schedule, with Patch 5.55 rumored to be coming around the same time.
Patch 5.5 will see players wrap up the Sorrow of Werlyt trial questline, and will pit players against the formidable Diamond Weapon. As always, the normal difficulty trial will be accompanied by a much more difficult Extreme variant for hardcore players.
Final Fantasy 14's Nier Automata crossover is also coming to a head with the release of its final 24-man raid. The trailer teases locations with an aesthetic and bosses that should be very familiar to Nier fans, and we're hoping for an explosive conclusion fitting of Nier's penchant for diabolical twists.
Roughly six weeks after the launch of Patch 5.5, players can expect even more content from Patch 5.55. Chief among these updates will be the conclusion to the Save the Queen quest line, which will feature a brand new explorable area as well as unique raid content tailored for players who want to get the most out of their shiny Resistance weapons.
Final Fantasy 14 PS5 open beta
Final Fantasy 14's PS5 open beta will be available to try on April 13 for players who have the game registered on PS4. This is the same day that the Patch 5.5 update hits the game. When fully released, the PS5 upgrade will be available to PS4 players at no extra cost.
The Final Fantasy 14 PS5 open beta, according to the official website for the game (machine translated from Japanese), will feature much faster load times, 4K resolution, a higher framerate and support for both 3D Audio and haptic feedback via the PS5's DualSense controller.
Just how haptic feedback will work in the game is unknown, but we imagine it will add some extra immersive impact to attacks and possibly crafting and gathering actions, but just how well this will work when factoring in server ticks remains to be seen.
Final Fantasy 14 lead project manager Shoichi Matsuzawa detailed the graphical options available to players in the PS5 open beta in a post on the official PlayStation Blog. In the post, Matsuzawa explains players will be able to choose from three settings based on their TV's capabilities, those being 4K, 1440p and 1080p.
Matsuzawa said in regards to the resolution options: "I wouldn’t want to make sweeping generalizations since there are so many different types of content in FFXIV, but in general, WQHD (1440p) and Full HD (1080p) should run at around 60 FPS during normal gameplay, and even in 4K (2160p) you should see frame rates around 40 FPS—significantly higher than the PS4 version.
"Of course, there are some instances where you have a few dozen (to a few hundred!) players gathering in certain areas, which places a heavy load on rendering, but even then I believe you can still achieve around a stable 30 FPS."
PS5 owners playing the PS4 version of the game will be able to download the beta by visiting the Final Fantasy 14 store page on the PlayStation Store. From there, simply download the Final Fantasy 14 PS5 Upgrade Edition (Beta) when it arrives on April 13. Just be mindful that stress on the PlayStation Store's servers is likely to be high, so plan accordingly.
Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker news
Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker - PlayStation Q&A with Naoki Yoshida
In an interview with the official PlayStation blog, Final Fantasy 14’s director and producer Naoki Yoshida gave a few more details on the upcoming expansion, Endwalker.
Yoshida answered questions about the closure of the game’s first major arc in Endwalker, and where the story can go from there. He also touched on the themes of Endwalker’s story, the similarities between it and Final Fantasy 4, shared the thought process on creating Sage - the new Healer Job - and finally commented on the musical style that composer Masayoshi Soken is bringing to Endwalker.
Endwalker will be the final chapter in Final Fantasy 14’s epic “Hydaelyn and Zodiark” saga. Yoshida said that the general structure for the story arc was envisioned as early as A Realm Reborn in 2013. He also estimated that Patch 6.0 (the patch that coincides with Endwalker’s release) or even 7.0 would mark the end of that saga, leading into new stories beyond that point.
Yoshida mentioned he is already thinking about where the story will go past Endwalker, but that he is also “thinking of how to best deliver the first climax” to Final Fantasy 14 by way of Endwalker. His comments seem to suggest that there will be plenty more story to look forward to in subsequent patches after 6.0.
Touching on the similarities to Final Fantasy 4, which itself featured the moon as a crucial location and narrative device, Yoshida confirmed that Final Fantasy 14 was indeed paying homage to that game. However, he dropped a juicy story tidbit that fans should keep in their minds, saying: “The previous lunar satellite [...] turned out to be a cage created [...] to imprison Bahamut. That begs the question: then what is the moon itself?”
Finally, Yoshida closed out the Q&A by describing the thought process that went into creating the Sage, one of Endwalker’s two new playable Jobs. He said that the team initially struggled with differentiating the Job from Final Fantasy 14’s existing healers, those being White Mage, Scholar and Astrologian. The base idea for Sage was finally formed when someone suggested its weapons should be “controlled magically,” as opposed to being held in their hands.
Responding to the final question about how to entice newcomers to Final Fantasy 14, Yoshida suggested players should imagine the game as an interactive TV drama, alluding to its story-heavy focus. He compared each major expansion to being their own seasons, before calling newcomers to action through mention of Final Fantasy 14’s generous free trial.
Final Fantasy 14 Patch 5.5 details and release date
Before we reach Endwalker and the release of Patch 6.0 this Fall, Square Enix isn’t quite done with content for its current expansion, Shadowbringers. Patch 5.5 will put a pretty bow on the game’s Shadowbringers content, and the main story should lead us nicely into Endwalker.
This new patch, ominously titled Death Unto Dawn, will see its main story content split into two parts. Part 1 is out now as of April 13, the same day as the PS5 open beta. Part 2 is scheduled for the end of May, with no concrete release date as of yet. Besides the main story content, Patch 5.5 looks like it won’t leave players wanting.
Patch 5.5 will release the final raid in the YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse saga. This crossover with Nier: Automata has been a bit of a divisive one among players, many who feel the story has been lacking. Hopefully, this last raid in the series can address those issues, and tie the world of Nier successfully into Final Fantasy 14.
Players will also get to witness the conclusion of The Sorrow of Werlyt storyline. This series of trials pitched players against familiar Final Fantasy 7 superbosses: the Ruby, Sapphire and Emerald Weapons. Patch 5.5 will close out with Diamond Weapon, the most powerful of them all. Both Normal and Extreme difficulties will of course be present as usual.
Updates to the Triple Triad card game, a new Custom Delivery client for crafters and gatherers, and various hotfixes to the Resistance Weapon quest line are all coming, too. Unfortunately, those looking forward to the planned Ultimate difficulty Dragonsong War trial have another lengthy delay in store. That content has sadly been pushed back into 6.1, after the release of Endwalker.
For a closer look at the updates and changes Final Fantasy 14 Patch 5.5 brings, the official Shadowbringers site has been updated to now include the upcoming patch.
Final Fantasy 14 Endwalker expansion details, release date and more
On February 5, Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki Yoshida presented an announcement showcase for the next expansion, Endwalker. The first thing that was shown off was a brand new CG trailer, announcing that Endwalker will launch in Fall 2021.
The showcase touched on the things we can expect when Endwalker releases. For the most part, the main story will take us back on home soil, Eorzea, after traipses to the east and to other worlds entirely.
Yoshida was quick to detail one of two new Jobs (playable classes) that will be added in Endwalker. That being the Sage, a new healer with some delightfully sci-fi looking lasers. Oh, those lasers can fly, too, and float independently of the user. The second new class was confirmed to be a melee DPS (a close-range damage dealer) but that’s all we know so far.
One announcement that really stuck with players was the Island Sanctuary. This was billed as more casual, laid-back content for any player to enjoy. Most likely it won’t be dissimilar to farming sims like Stardew Valley or Harvest Moon.
Not much is known about this new mode currently, except that we will be put in charge of our very own instanced island paradise. It’s also a place where the player’s minions (collectable critters that follow you around the overworld) can roam free, and potentially perform tasks themselves.
Scant details were revealed about the new raids that will feature in Endwalker. Firstly, the new eight-man raid series will be titled Pandaemonium, the announcement of which was accompanied only by an ominous piece of key art. Almost nothing was shared about the new 24-man alliance raids, however, only that it will be a move away from the last two expansions’ focus on crossovers, in favor of an original story.
In terms of new trials, (Final Fantasy 14’s term for boss fights) fans were treated to a key art of Anima. The fan favorite boss is making a return from its appearance in Final Fantasy 10. This was joined by concept art and in-game screenshots of some new dungeons and overworld areas including Garlemald, the Imperial capital players have been eager to visit ever since A Realm Reborn.
Rounding out the announcements were details on the upcoming downscaling of numbered values throughout the game. Yoshida went into minute detail of what will be happening here. Essentially, the numbers the game is currently handling right now are far too big (bosses have HP values in the hundreds of millions, for example) and their bloated size is causing bugs within the game.
Yoshida was adamant in explaining that while numbers across the board will be downscaled, it’s all relative. Even though our damage numbers will be significantly lower, players themselves aren’t getting any less powerful. It’s one way the team is future proofing itself for all content in the coming years.
Finally, players will see their belts removed. No, not like that. Belts have been something of a bane to players for years. They’re not visible on characters at all, and they offer negligent stat bonuses compared to the more valuable gear pieces. As a result, Square is doing away with them entirely.
The slots belts currently occupy in the Armory Chest will instead be allocated to primary weapons and ring slots, with some storage being held in reserve until the team knows what it wants to do with them.
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