Summary
Ahead of the launch of the Xbox open beta version ofFinal Fantasy 14, Square Enix revealed that Xbox players who want to upgrade from the free trial to the full version will require subscriptions to both the game and to Xbox Game Pass. The announcement also revealed that the Xbox open beta version ofFinal Fantasy 14will launch on February 21.
During the 2023 Las Vegas Fan Fest, Square Enix first revealedFinal Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, the game’s fifth expansion since its 2013 relaunch.Dawntrailwill bring the game’s first major graphical update and introduce the Viper and Pictomancer Jobs. At the end of the Las Vegas Fan Fest keynote address,Final Fantasy 14producer and director Naoki Yoshida welcomed Xbox lead Phil Spencer to the stage, and the two confirmed thatFinal Fantasy 14was heading to Xbox Series X/S. The subsequent London Fan Fest narrowed downwhen Xbox players could tryFinal Fantasy 14, with an initial target window of mid-January to February.
That target window was proven correct. Square Enix stated that the Xbox Series X/S version ofFinal Fantasy 14will launch as an open beta on Wednesday, February 21, at approximately 3:00 a.m. Eastern. The open beta is exclusive to new players, as existing players will not be allowed to participate. But, sinceFinal Fantasy 14has dedicated servers, Xbox players will be able to play with PC, PS4, and PS5 players from the start. The free trial ofFinal Fantasy 14,whichwas expanded in Patch 6.5to include theStormbloodexpansion, will serve as the basis for the Xbox open beta test. However, Xbox players who want to upgrade to the full version will not only need to purchaseFinal Fantasy 14but will need both a game subscription and an Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription.
When Does The Open Beta of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Begin?
By comparison,Final Fantasy 14players on PS4 and PS5 are not required to use an additionalPlayStation Plus subscriptionon top of the recurring game subscription. Square Enix added that the full version ofFinal Fantasy 14on Xbox Series X/S would launch immediately after the open beta concludes at a later date, similarly to how the PS5 version was handled in 2021.
While the Xbox Game Pass requirement forFinal Fantasy 14is baffling, the service offersa plethora of titles and Day One releases. It remains to be seen if either Square Enix or Microsoft will offerFinal Fantasy 14players some perks to soften the blow of needing two subscriptions to play.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
