Final Fantasy XIV Mobile Announced
Posted on November 20, 2024 by Aywren
Updated info and videos - see the section at the bottom of this post.
Yesterday, Yoshi-P himself starred in the trailer for the upcoming release of Final Fantasy XIV Mobile. Aside from the official website and this trailer, we don’t have a whole lot of information to go on about the game, however.
From the official tweet, we can see that this game is being developed by a third party, Lightspeed Studios, under supervision of Square Enix. It’s still not fully clear, but it seems this may be a separate game from the MMO, while using the lore, concepts and tweaked assets of the original.
Another clue that says this might be the case is on the webpage itself where (in hard to read text that sounds like it might have had its foundation written by AI) it states:
FFXIV MOBILE allows players to embark on a new adventure on their mobile devices.
In FFXIV MOBILE, you are beckoned by the Mothercrystal, carrying the light of hope to the world of Hydaelyn. Heed the Mothercrystal’s call, embrace your destiny as an adventurer, and confront the primals to deliver Eorzea from certain destruction. An epic story and endless challenges await, with every heart-wrenching moment creating unforgettable memories within this vast realm.
Test your skills in battle with controls optimized for mobile devices, enabling you to experience dynamic and intense combat from the palm of your hand. Immerse yourself in stunning visuals and audio as skills and boss effects dazzle, culminating in a glorious finale with a limit break!
Locked Within A Realm Reborn
I find it interesting that this mobile game is focused on what appears to be the ARR scenario… which is often touted by the MMO players to be the dullest story section of the game. Yet, this marketing text tells us it will have “endless challenges” and “heart-wrenching moments.”
My hunch is, this has to be a re-written version of ARR, if it follows ARR at all. If that’s the case… why wasn’t this time and effort put into the actual MMO version of ARR (or better yet, Dawntrail’s story)?
I can’t imagine that ARR’s “pray return” (which was actually referenced in the trailer) would go over well with mobile players. I also can’t imagine them rehashing the original story in mobile format because the point of having a mobile spin-off could be (should be) to funnel those who get hooked there to the main game. Right? Or…
My Mobile Concerns
My hope is that this is a way to reach a new audience they expect will eventually join the original version and breathe new life into the MMO. But my worries are this is just a move to take the foundation the MMO, use the nostalgia of ARR to hook in long-time players like myself along with new mobile players, and find a way to make quick money off it.
I’m personally not much of a mobile gamer, despite having a pretty solid gaming tablet. I’ve learned over the years that mobile games are not often long for the world, having seen the majority of games I’ve played disappear over the years. This includes games that were made in the Final Fantasy franchise – I played Final Fantasy Record Keeper for a good while, even supporting it with a few cash purchases – and it closed down everywhere but Japan back in 2022.
For someone who is concerned about long-term preservation of my games, mobile games are the exact opposite of what I’m interested in putting time and money into. There are a few exceptions – such as AFK Journey – but that’s due to the fact there is a Windows app for it, the game doesn’t require too much of my daily time, the gatcha is generous, and I’ve never felt the need to spend a single dollar in it (and I don’t plan to).
So, will I be playing this FFXIV Mobile? I’ll probably try it. Especially if they offer some rewards in the MMO version for doing so and linking accounts or something.
Will I be playing it long term? That’s hard to say. I already put way too much time into the MMO to want to put even more time into a Mobile version of it.
I am reserving my judgement until after I try it out. This is very much a wait and see situation.
Update - More Info!
Content creators, such as Preach and Mr. Happy, have revealed more information on what mobile is intended to be. I’ve added their videos below, but here’s some important points:
- Free to play!
- No gatcha!
- Not sure how it will be monetized, however…
- DIFFERENT from the original FFXIV MMO – you will have to roll a new character
- Intended to stay true to the original story and content
- Will be updated to include future expansions over time
- Will include housing, crafting, gathering, fishing, Gold Saucer
- Will include dungeons and raiding
- Will be formatted to play battle content on a mobile device (obviously)
What do you think? Are you going to give it a try, or are you not interested in a mobile version of FFXIV?