FINAL FANTASY XIV Online News

Play Free for Up to 4 Days in the Latest Free Login Campaign!

The Patch 5.4 series presents a plethora of new challenges to our players, and in the hope that would-be adventurers can experience all that FFXIV has to offer, we are pleased to announce the latest Free Login Campaign!

Eligibility

Users who have previously purchased and registered FINAL FANTASY XIV.
All registered service accounts must be set as inactive during the campaign period.
Registered service account must have been inactive for at least thirty days.

* Details of service accounts can be confirmed via the FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station.

Campaign Schedule

From Wednesday, February 17, 2021 at 12:00 a.m. (PST) / 8:00 (GMT)
to Wednesday, March 31, 2021 at 7:59 a.m. (PDT) / 14:59 (GMT) / 15:59 (BST)

* Please note that a subscription to FFXIV is required to continue playing after the event period.

Free Login Period

Four days including the day on which users first log in. This period ends on the fourth day at 11:59 p.m. (local time).

* Please note that this campaign is based on the GMT time zone. The campaign passes automatically to the next day at 00:00 (GMT) / 1:00 (BST) / 2:00 (CEST).

Game Download

If you need to re-install the game, please visit your Steam Library or the Store page here.

Notes Regarding the Free Login Campaign

The free login period begins after logging in via the game launcher using your Square Enix ID and password.
Once activated, the free login period will end once it reaches the allotted free play duration regardless of whether you actually play the game.
Players with multiple service accounts registered to a single Square Enix account cannot participate if at least one of the accounts is currently active.
Service accounts that have been canceled or suspended due to a violation of the service agreement cannot participate.
Players who purchase a subscription during their free login period will forfeit the remaining duration of said period.
Players cannot log in using a platform on which their service accounts have not been registered.
Players can log in using all platforms on which their service account has been registered.
When attempting to participate in the free login campaign using a Square Enix account with multiple service accounts, the free login period will be valid only for the first service account selected upon logging in. Please note that you may be unable to participate in the free login campaign with more than one service account at a time. If you cannot log in using a second service account even after meeting all other requirements, we ask that you wait for the free login period to expire on your first service account and try again.
Server maintenance may be carried out during the free login period. Please note that you will be unable to log in to the game during maintenance.

New Final Fantasy XIV ads are just channeling your annoying FFXIV friend

The 'annoying Final Fantasy XIV friend' is a meme that's getting increasingly difficult to escape from - as is your annoying FFXIV friend. The MMORPG is beloved and its free trial continues to get more generous, which means players are eager to evangelise to everyone around them. That's all well and good, but now Square Enix is channelling the same energy in a new ad campaign, and it's a bit... weird.

The ads all have the same basic setup. Somebody is minding their own business, checking out some sort of free trial, whether that be for a streaming service, a gym membership, or a subscription box. The service is kind of dull, so a mysterious woman appears to tell you about a free trial that's not dull: Final Fantasy XIV Online!

So yes, play Final Fantasy XIV Online or some woman will break into your house and pester you until you do. Final Fantasy XIV Online, specifically. Fin-nal Fan-ta-sy Four-teen On-line. She just keeps saying it, over and over, and it sounds weirder every time.

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Final Fantasy 14 bans over 5,000 players for using real money in-game

Another batch of Final Fantasy 14 players have been banned for using real world money in exchange for goods and services in the MMORPG game, and a smaller group was similarly punished for trying to.

In a news post, it's revealed that just over 5,000 players have had their accounts in the open-world game terminated, accounting for the period between February 25 and March 3 of this year. This was due to violating the rules surrounding "real money trading and other illicit activities" that undermine the in-game economy, and throw the balance out of whack.

A further 814 were terminated for trying to take part in the above, advertising or otherwise attempting to create a deal that involved real currency, rather than the gil that's used through-out the Final Fantasy series. Ban waves like this for offenders is unfortunately regular, back in 2019 over 9,500 accounts were removed for real money transactions. In that instance a number of players were kicked for using bots, too. While the RMT offences continue, Square Enix appears to have curbed botting, at the very least.

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Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXII Digest Released

We’re pleased to announce that the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXII event digest has been released!

If you weren’t able to watch the live stream, or if you just want to watch it again, be sure to check it out!

Proceed to the thread.

Naoki Yoshida says it's riskier not to end Final Fantasy XIV's ten-year story

Around eight years ago, Square Enix launched Final Fantasy XIV's A Realm Reborn reboot, a new beginning to put an end to the MMORPG's underwhelming start to life. The expansion itself was set in motion by the end of the game's first iteration when a primal dragon called Bahamut initiated an apocalyptic event that destroyed much of Eorzea. The whole thing kicked off a story that would last for the better part of a decade. In FFXIV's upcoming Endwalker expansion, though, it all starts to come to an end.

Game director Naoki Yoshida makes as much clear in Endwalker's reveal. When we were given a chance to speak to him, though, we can't help but ask what his motivations were. For Yoshida, finishing the tale right now means ending it with a bang rather than letting it fizzle out later.

"As I've explained before, we produce FFXIV's main scenario in a similar manner to a TV drama series," he says. "We were fortunate to receive a great deal of praise for the previous expansion Shadowbringers, having uncovered around 80% of the mysteries as well as linking elements within the story and tying up loose ends. Of course, I believe we could use a strategy of stretching out the story without providing a conclusion in Endwalker.

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