Final Fantasy 14 came out over a decade ago and has been running on PlayStation 4 since soon after it launched. Sonyâs last-gen hardware wonât be able to support Square Enixâs MMORPG forever, though, and director Naoki âYoshi-Pâ Yoshida recently explained why.
âMy basic stance is that I do want to continue supporting hardware which has grown old,â he said in an interview with Feed4Gamers (via TweakTown). âBut I do have one concern, and thatâs regarding the OS of the PlayStation 4, and this is regarding the hardware regulations which were made by Sony. These regulations are related to the limit of the data, and because thereâs that limit of the data, well, we are continually incorporating updates for Final Fantasy 14 and we are now approaching that limit.â
He continued:
And so for this limit thatâs in place, we have been asking Sony Interactive Entertainment from our side to increase that just for Final Fantasy 14, and they have kindly been doing that so far. But theyâve told us now that they are also reaching their limits. So I will repeat myself: I do want to provide support for platforms as long as possible. However, there will eventually come a time when the hardware is at its limits in terms of its technology, and at that point in time we would have to provide an end to the service on that hardware. But I will be sure to provide clear reasoning for that decision when I communicate it to the players.
According to Yoshida, Sonyâs already been making exceptions to its standard developer rules in order to accommodate new content for FF14. The game has received several major updates since last yearâs Dawntrail expansion, including this monthâs patch 7.3, The Promise of Tomorrow. Itâs unclear just how much wiggle room is still left for further upgrades and content drops.
When is Final Fantasy 14âs next expansion coming?
Square Enix has been cagey on the timing of its next expansion, with speculation from some fans that it could arrive as late as spring 2027. Yoshida teased that there will at least be an update on the date for FF14 Fan Fest 2026 on the 10-year anniversary of A Realm Reborn this week.
Other big multiplayer games like PUBGand Genshin Impact are both dropping support for last-gen consoles in the coming months. While Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 is still coming to PS4 and Xbox One this fall, other big annual franchises like MLB: The Show and Madden NFL have all ditched the aging hardware. Considering weâre nearly five years into the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S lifecycles, the only surprising thing is that these moves didnât come sooner.
Originally released on the PS3 in 2013, FF14 left that console behind at the time of the Stormblood expansion in 2017, a departure for which Square Enix provided eight months of notice. My guess is that update 8.0, whenever it arrives, might similarly mark the end of the MMORPGâs journey on PS4. And by that point, PS6 will probably be just around the corner.
After multiple delays and name changes, Throne and Liberty has finally been released, offering us a new MMO in a time of drought. The genre has waned in popularity, and can often seem overshadowed by more standard live service titles, but Throne and Liberty aims to shake things up with creative class design, gorgeous visuals, and an engrossing progression experience. Hereâs what you need to know about this new MMO on the block.
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What is Throne and Liberty?
Throne and Liberty is a Korean MMO developed by NCSOFT and published by Amazon Games. Set in the open world of Solisium, what was once intended to be a sequel to Lineage has now become a unique property, although maintains the fantasy setting.
It provides PVE fans with a sweeping tale that sees you leveling up, taking on dungeons, and working through a series of intense quests as you seek to face off against a potentially world-ending threat.
If the PVE adventure isnât enough for you, however, Throne and Liberty is also a very guild-focused MMO with a heavy emphasis on PVP. So if you want to see everything the game has to offer, youâll be able to join a guild and work together to take on contracts and defeat other players in both massive and small-scale battles.
Throne and Liberty offers a tab-targeting combat system and abides by the holy trinity of design: tank, healer, and DPSâroles that are required to overcome its most challenging dungeons and encounters. Despite sticking closely to that familiar formula, Throne and Liberty shakes things up a bit by offering a shocking amount of freedom in how you can approach classes.
How does Throne and Liberty handle classes?
Screenshot: NCSoft
Unlike the average MMO, this game allows you to mix and match two main weapons to create any combination of your choosing. Do you want to wield a greatsword and a staff to become a badass battlemage? Cool! Go nuts slamming foes with your sword between casting fire and ice spells. Do you want to be a ranged DPS that can also heal? Combine the wand and tome with a longbow and unleash a flurry of arrows between casting restorative spells on you and your teammates.
While there are certainly meta combinations that allow for the very best stats for high-end PVE and PVP content, you never have to feel as if your off-meta pick will leave you out of the best parts of the game, as every combination can be a powerhouse in the right hands. Just choose what is most fun to you and go wild.
Is Throne and Liberty free-to-play?
Like many modern MMOs, Throne and Liberty has adopted a free-to-play (F2P) model. This means you can download the game for free on your chosen platform and play it forever without paying any type of subscription.
However, the gameâs F2P design means that NCSOFT has implemented battle passes that can be purchased with real money, as well as an in-game shop where players can buy cosmetics, like outfits and transformations, and leveling passes that drastically improve the leveling experience that would otherwise require you to grind.
With this in mind, some may consider the game pay-to-win (P2W), but itâs not quite as egregious as similar titles. All of the gear and items can be obtained in the game simply by playing, but players who wish to speed up gear acquisition can do so. Itâs still possible to move through the process at a reasonable speed without feeling like the game is punishing you too severely for not breaking out a credit card.
What platforms is Throne and Liberty on?
Throne and Liberty is available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. Due to the fairly high system requirements of the game, itâs unlikely weâll ever see it make an appearance on the Nintendo Switch.
Does Throne and Liberty have cross-play?
Screenshot: NCSoft
Yes, Throne and Liberty offers cross-play. This means you can absolutely play with friends across various platforms. For instance, if youâre on PS5 and have friends on PC, youâll be able to link up with them in-game with no hiccups.
That being said, youâll need to be on the same server to play together, so youâll still want to sync up with your pals before you drop in to be certain you donât end up having to payreal money on a server transfer.
Will my PC run Throne and Liberty?
Throne and Liberty is a gorgeous game that is no doubt graphically a step above the average MMO. If youâre on PC, you may be wondering if the game will run properly with your current configuration.
Here are the minimum PC specs:
Intel Core I5-6500
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960 4GB
8GB RAM
Windows 10
DirectX 12
Here are the recommended specs according to Can You Run It:
While the genre of MMORPGs is already a very tight-knit club of only a few stronghold titles, Final Fantasy XIV has stood out for years now as its most unique success story. After getting the proverbial phoenix down from impassioned director Naoki (âYoshi-Pâ) Yoshida just over a decade ago, the game not only made an outstanding comeback but has since grown into one of the most beloved RPGs in recent memory, thanks in large part to its spectacular storytelling, a devoted community thatâs now over 50 million strong, and an ongoing experience that pays the utmost respect to the entire Final Fantasy universe.
The previous Endwalker expansion, which dropped right in the middle of the global pandemic, orchestrated an emotional conclusion to the longtime conflict between the Ascians and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which culminated in an epic showdown with both Hydaelyn and Zodiark that took our Warrior of Light to the furthest reaches of the universe. The era that started it all came to a heartfelt close, and players around the world grew excited and anxious to see what the new era would entail.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
Thus, to ring in the summer season, we were formally introduced to Dawntrail and the vast new continent of Tural, ripe for exploration. The expansion became one of the most highly anticipated ones to date, and pre-orders skyrocketed despite players still contending with Mog Stationâs finicky transaction issues.
The hype in turn fueled a pre-emptive debate on how the launch of Dawntrail would transpire after its predecessor faced catastrophic server problems that left much of the community struggling to even log into the game for weeks. However, with semiconductor supply chain shortages no longer an issue, Yoshi-P and his team worked tirelessly to prepare extra data centers and expand server space by a whopping 50% to prevent such a situation with Dawntrail at all costs.
When Dawntrailâs Early Access period officially began on June 28, I logged in with cautious optimism, and thankfully it was rewarded with a queue that took surprisingly little time to get through, at least in the morning hours. I did notice that later in the evening and into the expansionâs inaugural weekend, the queue did grow considerably (no higher than 2,500), but still nowhere near the numbers that Endwalker begrudgingly faced. That, in and of itself, was Dawntrailâs first victory.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
The fresh new storyline kicks off with the Warrior of Light traveling by sea to Tural to uncover the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Krileâs grandfather and also, of course, to embark on a new adventure alongside Wuk Lamat. Our new Hrothgar protagonist and heroine, Wuk Lamat interestingly takes the narrative spotlight far more than the Warrior of Light compared to previous expansions. Sheâs brightly spirited, proactive and, despite her young age and lack of experience in politics, her unwavering respect and regard for Turalâs citizens resonates warmly with those she meets.
Sheâs also in line to succeed her father for Turalâs throne in the capital of Tuliyollal. However, to claim the title of Dawnservant she must first compete against three other contestants.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
The first is her fellow adopted brother Koana, who firmly believes that Tural needs to embrace new-age technology and international trade with Sharlayan to prosper. The second is the brash, two-headed Mamool Ja named Bakool Ja Ja, who thinks strong-arming his way to the crown is the answer. The third and most consequential competitor is Zoraal Ja, the trueborn son of current ruler Gulool Ja Ja who, despite his aloof demeanor, unflinchingly believes that not only is he destined for the throne, but that Tural and the rest of the world must be educated by the horrors of war once more to truly unify and be worthy of the peace they currently enjoy.
This fateful contest serves as the starting point for our new adventure, and our introduction to the various regions of Tural and its inhabitants. As Wuk Lamat seeks out each regionâs elector and progresses through the culturally significant tasks they bestow, we also gradually learn more about her competitors as they each handle said tasks differently.
Koana shares in Wuk Lamatâs genuine regard for Turalâs citizens and employs his technological intelligence to reach success, but his strictly objective point of view tends to get in the way of seeing the bigger picture. Meanwhile, Bakool Ja Ja often resorts to reckless violence and cheating to achieve his ends, while the incredibly strong but poker-faced Zoraal Ja plays by the rules, but only because he must.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
These tasks are not the only requirement for the future Dawnservant, however, as Gulool Ja Ja also decrees that his successor must also locate and unlock the fabled City of Gold. Itâs not entirely clear what such a place is intended to contain, but it stands as the final task for Wuk Lamat and her rivals. While we wonât spoil what transpires later in the story, the consequences of the contest culminate in an unexpectedly emotional and even deeper conflict that takes our Warrior of Light and the Scions to a place where reality bends, deceives, and causes certain characters to unfurl.
As a whole, the story took a far more dramatic turn than I (and likely many of us) expected, considering how Dawntrail was initially portrayed as a tropical getaway adventure, though certainly with plenty of mysteries still to explore. However, the turn it ultimately takes isnât necessarily to its detriment, and it does well to test Wuk Lamat to her limits while revealing some startling truths about others along the way. There are a couple of lulls here and there where it feels like the flow stumbles a bit, but nothing that I feel hinders it significantly.
There are certain narrative elements that have divided some of the community, notably that Wuk Lamat takes the wheel much of the way through Dawntrail rather than the Warrior of Light, and also particularly how the story plays out in the final two zones.
While those points are up for ongoing debate, I would still argue with absolute confidence that Dawntrail gave us one of the best new villains the game has had in a long time. They filled complex narrative gaps that other antagonists, even Zenos, simply didnât satisfy.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
Of course, a significant contributing factor that helped provide us with such a riveting story is the gameâs newly upgraded graphics. Many of the storyâs cutscenes were noticeably more complex and theatrical, achieving moments that the game wouldnât have been able to in previous expansions.
This helped make the narrative even more compelling, and of course, gave our characters a much-needed glow-up from head to toe. With features like far more expressive eyes and detailed textures to skin, hair, clothing, and armor, the graphic update also gave explorable environments more realistic details and dynamic lighting, further helping to bring FFXIV into a new era of gameplay. Itâs something that was sorely needed and weâd argue that without it, the game would begin to lose its luster in more ways than one. However, Yoshi-P timed it perfectly and even offered players a free fantasia to commemorate the changes.
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
Dawntrail also gives us plenty of new starter content to sink our teeth into, from combat to crafting, two new DPS jobs, and plenty more is due to drop in the coming weeks, with a particularly big spotlight on the first tier of Arcadion raids. Letâs face it, weâre all itching to do battle inside that giant GPU tower. Beyond that, we have many more things to look forward to, from Shades Triangleâ (Field Operations), to whatever Cosmic Exploration is meant to be, the new Beastmaster Limited Job, the Vanaâdiel Alliance Raids, and more. Dawntrail will hopefully keep us a lot busier for longer and avoid the infamously wide gaps between updates that Endwalker dealt with.
In terms of post-patch story content, there are many avenues that it can take with still plenty to explore in Tural, and we can only speculate at best where it could possibly go, which is exciting in itself. Tural undoubtedly has plenty more to give us, and thankfully we wonât have to deal with agonizingly long login queues to enjoy it.
We give a heartfelt taco toast to Dawntrail and what itâs endeavoring to do, and while some may disagree, we feel it deserves to sit alongside the likes of Heavensward and Shadowbringers, as it stands right now. If it fulfills its promise, it can keep that pedestal.
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A screenshot I took while Remote Playing the Elden Ring expansion this weekend.Screenshot: From Software / Bandai Namco / Kotaku
I used to consider myself a certifiable cloud hater. Iâve never enjoyed my experiences trying to engage with cloud gaming, which allows players to stream their console games to PCs, smartphones, and dedicated handhelds, as well as adjacent remote play technology. In my limited experience, it was always too laggy, made the games look ugly as shit, and needed far too potent a signal to work even passably well. However, I went away this past weekend and didnât want to lug around either of my consoles, so I gave it an earnest shot again and I must say, Iâm pleasantly surprised with how far cloud and remote gamingâs come. – Moises Taveras Read More
As Final Fantasy XIVâs Endwalker expansion enters its final content stretch ahead of Dawntrailâs highly-anticipated release this summer, Yoshi-P and his team at Square Enix have decided to commemorate the legacy of the decade-long arc of Hydaelyn and Zodiark with yet another incredibly impressive statue for players to collect. Furnished once again by the adept hands of those at Meister Quality, this bust features none other than Zodiark and Hydaelyn themselves, the two all-powerful entities at the center of the epic clash between the esteemed Warrior of Light and the Ascians.
As amazing as it looks in the photos on Square Enixâs product page, and as surreal as it feels to potentially get the last noteworthy piece of merchandise from Endwalker, there seems to be hesitant divide amongst the player base over it. One would initially think itâs entirely over the very hefty price tag of $360 USD (before taxes and shipping), which makes it the priciest FFXIV statue released to date. The hilarious irony of these figures is that theyâre often referred to by the gameâs community as âexpensive emotes with a free statue includedâ, because the Meister Quality statues always come with an exclusive in-game emote as a bonus for ordering it.
Image Source: Square Enix
Hands down probably the most popular example of this, which actually ties in to the truth behind the player divide over the newest statue, is the âOmega Simulationsâ emotes that were obtained when purchasing the Meister Quality Omega figure back in late 2020. This statue became the most infamous in XIVâs entire lineup (which dates back to Shiva in âA Realm Rebornâ), for both good and bad reasons.
First off, the design of the statue itself was an immediate hit among fans, who clamored to the Square Enix merch website to get their pre-orders. It cost $229.00 USD, which was indeed costly but the quality of the statue seemed entirely convincing and justified for many. Not only that, but it came with a pair of very attractive in-game emotes that allows players to have their characters mimic the classic poses of both Omega-M and F from the iconic Omega raids released during the Stormblood expansion.
Not only are they flashy and stylish, the emotes are âpersistentâ, meaning that they donât end until the player moves their character. On top of being a very rare type of emote, this made for some very enticing new afk poses that had people floating midair all over the place from Limsa Lominsa to Eulmore.
However, while the emotes were an absolute hit with the community and remain some of the best ever released for the game, the same surprisingly couldnât be said for the statue itself.
Image Source: Reddit via Twinfinite
Those who were a part of the initial pre-order wave for the Omega statue, and were undoubtedly thrilled when their delivery finally came, instead found themselves saddled with a physical product that didnât remotely meet expectations. While other statues such as Shiva and Ultima the High Seraph all came out as exquisitely fantastic as intended, Omega fell far, far short.
As pointed out by these photos from âtuxed0matâ on Reddit, the focal point of the problem (as seen above), was the facial design. While the initial product photos from Square Enix depicted pristine expressions of the characters, the final result was something borderline horrific, particularly from the view of anyone who collects figures like these. People took to Reddit and other forms of social media to show what they had paid over two hundred dollars for, which turned out to be crudely drawn at best, something youâd sooner see on a $30-40 dollar figure.
It was a first if there ever was one, and the avalanche-level backlash prompted a thorough and sincere apology from Yoshi-P and Square Enix for the severe lack of proper quality control over this particular figure in the XIV series. To make up for it, they sent a replacement statue to everyone who had initially placed an order at no extra cost. However, many of those who received their replacements still complained that the original problems still werenât fixed, as the facial design was slightly better, but still didnât justify the cost.
Image Source: Square Enix
This brings us back to the newly released Zodiark-Hydaelyn statue, which went up for pre-order late last week. Along with its record-breaking $359.99 price tag, it includes yet another exclusive in-game emote called âSunderingâ (i.e. â Ballroom Etiquette â Apocalyptic Charades).
This allows your character to wield the sword brandished by Hydaelyn herself in an incredibly flashy show of, well, sundering strength, before floating back down and hovering with the sword in hand. In fact, itâs actually quite similar to the Omega emotes of yore. However, in a very sad turn of events, this emote is strangely not a âpersistentâ one, as your character simply drops back to the ground afterward. What the heck, Yoshi-P??
Not only that, this particular emote is NOT account-wide for some reason, which understandably has people absolutely baffled. That is a first for this type of product, and we do hope it doesnât set a precedent going forward with figures released for Dawntrail.
Beyond that, however, the main source of hesitation expressed among players on Reddit comes from the sticker shock mixed with the proverbial burn caused by the Omega statue catastrophe. With a more than $100 increase in price, some people are wringing their hands on whether to pull the trigger this time. The statue itself is a nearly foot-tall statement piece, thereâs no doubt about that.
Thereâs apparently still plenty of interest regardless, as the statue has actually since sold out on Square Enixâs US website. As of this writing, itâs still available for pre-order for those in the UK.
The statue is due to ship for everyone just under a couple months from now in March, so weâll see at that point if the fears are justified, or if opening up the wallet that wide is well worth it.
About the author
Stephanie Watel
Stephanie Watel is a freelance writer for Twinfinite. Stephanie has been with the site for a few months, and in the games media industry for about a year. Stephanie typically covers the latest news and a variety of gaming guides for the site, and loves gardening and being the bird lady of the neighborhood. She has a BA in Writing from Pace University in NY.
Part two of the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest world tour has just taken place in London, revealing loads of new details on the Dawntrail expansion and more. Hereâs everything that was revealed in the eventâs keynote speech.
Viper Job Reveal
The first of Final Fantasy XIVâs two new jobs was finally revealed, and itâs one that nobody expected. Entirely original to FFXIV, the Viper job is a duel-wielding melee DPS class. What separates this job from the Ninja is the ability to combine both swords into one double-bladed weapon, switching out ultra-fast strikes for heavier and more powerful ones.
Before director and producer Naoki Yoshida took to the stage to reveal the jobâs name, the audience was treated to a first look at it in an extended version of the cinematic Dawntrail trailer that we first saw back in Julyâs Fan Fest in Las Vegas.
Image Source: Square Enix
The Viper job will require no starting job and will be available to all players who already have at least one other job at level 80. The starting area for Vipers will be Ulâdah.
We also saw a sneak peek at some gameplay footage of the Viper striking a morbol. The jobâs unique abilities allow the Warrior of Light to call on memories of ancient powers to boose their DPS.
The second job, which we already know to be a ranged magical DPS class, remains a mystery. The full reveal of this class is now confirmed to be happening at the Japan Fan Fest in January.
New Key Art
Image Source: Square Enix
Alongside the reveal of the Viper job, we also got our first look at the all-new key art for the Dawntrail expansion. This art prominently features the Warrior of Light in full Viper regalia. It also confirmed that the expansion is still set for release in Summer 2024.
Dawntrailâs Main Story
We knew that the Scionâs journey to the continent of Tural would start out as a vacation, but now we have a few more clues about the expansionâs narrative.
After saving the entire cosmos from destruction in Endwalker, The Warrior of Light and the Scions will be sailing west across the Indigo Deep to enjoy some downtime. Despite the sun-drenched beauty of this new isle, it seems the relaxation wonât last long.
Image Source: Square Enix
Tural is looking for a new ruler, and naturally, the Scions canât help but get involved in the rite of succession. Unfortunately, it seems that the group will be divided between who they think deserves to become the new ruler. Itâll be interesting to see how each of the Scions reacts when their friendships are put to the test. However, itâs not yet known if you will have any choice over who you side with amongst your splintered friends.
The overall theme for the expansion will be âA Journey of Discovery,â which makes sense given Turalâs new world aesthetics.
YoshiP confirmed that Dawntrail will continue the tradition of offering a full retail gameâs worth of content and proclaimed that this new era of FFXIV will be âeven betterâ than the Hydaelyn/Zodiark narrative that was the focus for all expansions from A Realm Reborn through to Endwalker.
Players should expect âbig surprisesâ as they play through this story and reveal more of Turalâs secrets.
The Continent of Tural
Image Source: Square Enix
We were also given an early look at some of the different areas we will be visiting in Tural, as well as the first in-progress gameplay footage.
The first main town weâll be visiting in the expansion is the previously announced Tuliyollal. The town will be home to many different peoples and has an established sea route to Old Sharlayan. Two other new areas on the island were also given in-game sneak peeks: Yak Tâel and Urqopacha. All of these locations deliver on the vacation island vibes that had been promised, and YoshiP was keen to stress that they would be a showcase for the gameâs new graphical updates.
More interesting yet was a first look at some concept art for two other locations weâll visit as we progress through Dawntrail. Kozamaâuka is a tropical region where crags in the land create huge waterfalls across the environment. The concept art was absolutely stunning and will surely look jaw-dropping in-game.
Image Source: Square Enix
The other new region is Shaaloani, which has a frontier desert look. This Wild West is the road to something bigger though, as indicated by a giant SECRET banner covering part of the concept art. YoshiP says he wants players to experience this surprise reveal for themselves when they play Dawntrail.
With newly discovered ceruleum deposits driving something of a gold rush to the area, we can only imagine this will invite some of Hydaelynâs more nefarious characters there.
Gameplay Features in Dawntrail
The new area of Kozamaâuka will be home to one of Dawntrailâs new Allied Tribes, the Moblins. Theyâre like the Goblins, except theyâre not, okay? It looks like this tribe will feature crafting and gathering daily quests.
Image Source: Square Enix
As for dungeons, itâs now been confirmed that Dawntrail will have just as many as any other expansion pack. We got our first look at a few of them, including one that YoshiP himself described as a âJungle Cruise,â another with a vast ruin covered in a mysterious purple growth, and an Aztec-looking temple.
The reveal that got the biggest reaction from the crowd, however, was the concept art of an ominous technological area featuring a glowing tank that faintly brought to mind Jenovaâs from Final Fantasy VII. Whatever is going on here is sure to have a significant impact on Final Fantasy XIVâs next major story arc.
Image Source: Square Enix
The sense of threat continues with the first look at one of Dawntrailâs enemies â the Eliminator. This thing is absolutely huge. Itâs confirmed not to be a raid boss, so as to how weâll come face-to-face with it, weâll have to wait and see when we play the expansion.
Those who enjoy playing the game solo will be pleased to hear that all of Dawntrailâs new dungeons will include Duty Support, meaning that they can complete them with a party of NPCs rather than having to group up with other players. This will consist of new characters, not just the Scions weâve teamed up with before.
There will also be new lifestyle content in Dawntrail, but unfortunately, this wasnât quite ready to show in London. A full reveal will, therefore, take place in Januaryâs Fan Fest in Japan. It was, however, revealed that the new systems would be group-focused.
New Gear
New expansions mean new glamours, and Dawntrail will have plenty for everyoneâs tastes in fashion. As well as several sets that have a distinctively 19th-century look to them, there are also new job-specific sets.
Image Source: Square Enix
Unlike a lot of new content, which has given all jobs new gear that is similarly themed, in Dawntrail, each job will get its own entirely different set of gear. The concept art preview we got of four of these new job sets received maybe the biggest cheer from the crowd out of anything else in the keynote.
With this very Ezio-looking set of gear and the Viperâs open Edward Kenway look, thereâs definitely some strong Assassinâs Creed inspiration being given off by Dawntrail.
Final Fantasy XI Crossover
Image Source: Square Enix
The Alliance Raidâs have a rich history of crossovers, with previous ones smashing Final Fantasy XIV together with Nier: Automata and Final Fantasy XIIâs Ivalice. The latest Alliance Raid, Echoes of Vanaâdiel, will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first MMO in the series, Final Fantasy XI.
New Limited Job
This was one of the keynoteâs biggest surprises. A second limited job is coming to the game in the latter half of Dawntrailâs patch cycle. What it will be, nobody knows.
With the first limited job being the Blue Mage, could the Green Mage be next?
The audience was going wild at the possibility of a Beast Master job, and YoshiP was keen to encourage them, so maybe they were onto something there.
Graphical Update
In a final, rather anti-climactic conclusion to the keynoteâs Dawntrail reveals, we got another new look at the upcoming graphical enhancements arriving in Dawntrail. This included a fresh look at the updated Au-Ra model, with slightly less reflective horns and improvements to shadows on Lalafell faces.
Honestly, it was nearly impossible to see any difference between the before and after images in this demonstration. Still, Iâve no doubt all these little changes made will accumulate into a significant boost when it comes to actually seeing them all come together in the game.
Pre-Dawntrail Updates
While thereâs still a bit of a wait to go before Dawntrail hits in Summer 2024, thereâs no shortage of things happening in the game in the meantime.
Xbox Beta
The yearâs long wait for Xbox console owners to journey to Eorzea is almost over. The beta is coming mid-January to February 2024, and will let anybody jump in to try out the game.
With the PC requirements now being boosted, being able to play the game on a console doesnât sound like a bad idea for those wincing at shelling out for a new graphics card.
Fall Guys x Final Fantasy XIV
Image Source: Square Enix
After Final Fantasy XIV content dropped in Fall Guys earlier this year, itâs now time for FFXIV to get its own Fall Guys content. The new Fall Guys mini-game at the Gold Saucer looks like a tonne of fun, and itâs arriving with Patch 6.51 on October 31.
This event will have cyclical availability, so be sure to jump into the game to check it out before it disappears for a bit.
Final Fantasy XVI Crossover
Image Source: Square Enix
YoshiP collaborates with YoshiP to bring Clive Rosfield to Final Fantasy XIV. Youâll be able to fight alongside Final Fantasy XVIâs protagonist in the coming crossover titled The Path Infernal.
Rewards for taking part in the event will include a Torgal mount and minion, as well as gear based on FFXVI.
If youâve not yet played the new game or are waiting for its upcoming PC release, have no fear. YoshiP confirmed there wonât be any spoilers for the game, and instead, it will serve as an introduction to those who havenât played while offering fun references for those who have.
Cloud Server Stress Test
The previously announced shift to cloud servers is rolling ahead, with a stress test tentatively set for 21-27 November. All players are encouraged to log in to this new server and try out as much content as possible during these dates.
Although you wonât be able to keep your character after the test, youâll be given a whole bunch of gear, including 50,000,000 gil, to ensure you can hit the group running. The more players that join in, the more info the server team will have to help iron out any problems before this important step forward in Final Fantasy XIVâs future takes place.
Celebrating Final Fantasyâs Legacy
Image Source: Square Enix via Twinfinite
In a touching conclusion to the keynote, we got two callbacks to Final Fantasyâs long history. First, we got a look at an all-new piece of artwork for Dawntrail, designed by legendary artist Yoshitaka Amano. This artwork features the Viper job and is an homage to Amanoâs art for Final Fantasy III.
And finally, Final Fantasy creator and current CEO of Mistwalker, Hironobu Sakaguchi, took to the stage to say a few words about his appreciation of Final Fantasy XIV. He famously took up playing the game back in 2021 and told the Fan Fest audience that he now plays the game every day.
Thatâs all for our wrap-up of everything revealed during FFXIV Fan Fest London. With A Realm Reborn having just turned ten years old, the future has never looked brighter for this long-running MMORPG.
About the author
James Crosby
James is a freelance writer for Twinfinite, typically covering new releases and live service titles. He has been writing about MMOs since 2015, and has published a book about Star Wars Galaxies.
Itâs that time of year again in Final Fantasy XIV, as the All Saintsâ Wake event returns to bring a touch of seasonal spookiness to the lands of Eorzea.
While the specifics of the event are still shrouded in mystery, if the key art for this yearâs Halloween shenanigans is anything to go on, weâll once again be seeing the return of Papa Gruff. What clowning around has the Scarlet Snout been up to this time?
Weâll find out when the All Saintsâ Wake event returns to Final Fantasy XIV from Friday, October 27 at 1 a.m. PDT to Monday, November 13 at 7 a.m. PST.
Image Source: Square Enix
The special event quest for 2023 is The Fright Stuff, and starts in Old Gridania at X:10.4, Y:8.4. All we know from the Lodestoneâs event preview is that thereâs something suspicious going on at the festive displays in the area. Players level 15 and above will be able to talk to the Adventurersâ Guide Investigator at the location to learn more.
There are two new rewards announced so far this year: a Wall-mounted Vampire Bats home decoration and an All Saintsâ Charm emote.
Final Fantasy XIVâs enthusiastic interior design community will no doubt be happy to have a new season item to incorporate into their Halloween home decorations. The new emote, meanwhile, gives all Warriors of Light a magic wand to brandish. Expect plenty of Gandalf and Dumbledore cosplay at any in-game Halloween events you attend this year.
If you were hoping to get your hands on any of the season items from previous All Saintsâ Wake events, youâre in luck. Some of these items will be available from The Bespectacled Peddler during the 2023 event, while others, such as the Wake Doctorâs Attire, are available now from the FFXIV Online Store.
With the Growing Light update having hit the game a few weeks ago, this event should lead us straight into the release of Patch 6.51 which is set to add the Another Aloalo Island criterion dungeon to the game.
About the author
James Crosby
James is a freelance writer for Twinfinite, typically covering new releases and live service titles. He has been writing about MMOs since 2015, and has published a book about Star Wars Galaxies.
At long last, Xbox owners will soon get to enjoy the MMORPG PlayStation players have enjoyed for nearly a decade. Final Fantasy XIV is headed to Xbox Series X/S in spring 2024 after being a PlayStation console exclusive since 2014.
Thank You, PS Plus, For Making My Backlog Even Bigger
Producer and director Naoki Yoshida made the announcement on stage at the gameâs 2023 fanfest in Las Vegas, NV alongside Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. The Xbox Series X/S version will offer 4K graphics and faster load times, like its PlayStation 5 counterpart. While the full release is still almost a year away, an open beta will be available for players to try much sooner when patch 6.5x arrives in the months ahead.
For those who have been living under an adamantoise shell, Final Fantasy XIV has you complete fetch quests, dungeons, and raids across the dazzling world of Hydaelyn, full of political intrigue and mythical wonder. The game was one of the first live-service disasters when it first launched in 2013, and was even entirely shutdown for a time before re-releasing as A Realm Reborn.
Screenshot: Square Enix / Kotaku
Itâs recieved increasingly excellent expansions ever since, each introducing new characters, classes, and conflicts. And while itâs an MMO, a Duty Support system lets you play solo with AI-controlled NPCs. By the time Final Fantasy XIV comes to Xbox Series X/S, Square Enix says the feature will enable players to complete everything from the start of the game up through its most recent Endwalker expansion without ever needing to interact with another human being.
Why did it take so long to get FFXIV on Xbox?
The story of how we got here, however, is a long one. Yoshida was asked as early as 2013 why the game wasnât on Xbox One. His answer at the time was that Microsoftâs stance on crossplay was too restrictive. âThe main reason from our side is that I donât want the community to be divided; to be split into two or more. For example, one player might be on the PC version, another might be on the PS4 version, and Iâm playing the Xbox version – but weâre not able to join the same game servers,â he told RPGSite at the time. âThat is just… I just donât like the idea. I disagree with it.â
That was back when Microsoft was the company seemingly standing in the way of crossplay between the two consoles. Years later, roles were reversed, with Sony pushing back against crossplay for games like Fortnite. Yoshida repeated his requirement for crossplay in a 2017 interview with Kotaku, and things seemed to be progressing in that direction not long after.
Spencer publicly promised to bring the game to Xbox at the X019 fanfest event in London. âWe have a great relationship with Yoshida-san and weâre working through what it means to bring a cross-platform MMO, that theyâve run for years,â he told VGC at the time. âIt will be one of the games thatâs coming and itâs something that I know our Xbox fans will be incredibly excited to see.â
No deal immeidately materialized, however. Yoshida was asked again what the problem was during a 2021 interview around the time Final Fantasy XIV came to PS5. âSo I feel bad for saying the same thing every time,â he told Easy Allies. âBut we are still in discussions with Microsoft and I feel like our conversations are going in a positive tone.â
The positive tone of those conversations seemingly wasnât enough to finally get Sony to agree to crossplay though, until now. The two companies also recently reached a 10-year agreement for Call of Duty to keep coming to PlayStation after Microsoftâs acqusition of Activision Blizzard is finalized. Purely a coincidence, Iâm sure. Sony, Microsoft, and Square Enix did not immediately respond to requets for comment.
Because Final Fantasy XIV has somehow evolved into one of the biggest video games on the planet, Square Enix has decided to grab some of its older content out of the back of the fridge, reheat it in the microwave for a bit and serve it up to a whole new audience of players who probably werenât around when it was first released.
Hollow Knight: Silksongâs New Gameplay Trailer Is Living Rent-Free In Our Brains
Iâm talking specifically here about the gameâs second major expansion, Stormblood, which was released six years ago as a premium piece of downloadable content, but which for the next few weeks will be made available for free (provided youâve already got a paid subscription, theyâre not just giving it away to free/trial players).
As the gameâs site points out (thanks, Eurogamer), the free offer runs until May 28. Importantly itâs not free-to-play, itâs free-to-download, so provided you grab it before that deadline youâll be able to play it whenever you want.
Itâs good for both the console and PC versions of the game, though as this official FAQ points out, you need to make double sure on PC that youâre downloading the correct edition, as only the Steam download will work if you bought the game on Steam, etc.
Incredible visuals This smart TV has access to a wide array of streaming services, all of which are easier to navigate, has 4K visuals for a stunning picture, and comes with an Alexa Voice Remote too.
Final Fantasy XIV is one of the best massively multiplayer online role-playing games going, one of the few able to maintain a monthly subscription model in a day when even an Elder Scrolls MMO has to go free-to-play. Stormbloodâs epic narrative, gorgeous new locales, spectacular battles and some fresh gameplay mechanics make a great game even better.
I am never going to finish it and no one can make me.
