Final Fantasy XIV
News, coverage and analysis tracking Final Fantasy XIV across the outlets.
Final Fantasy 14's latest variant dungeon is so good, it deserves better—the MMO needs to figure out its rewards so all this great work isn't wastedThe latest variant dungeon in Final Fantasy 14, The Merchant's Tale, is praised for its stunning visuals and engaging boss fights, but criticized for its lackluster reward structure. The article argues that Square Enix needs to improve how rewards are distributed to keep older content relevant and to better honor the work of its designers. While the new 'advanced' difficulty is a success, the rewards like tradeable accessories and consumables do not justify the effort for many players, especially when compared to the gear progression typically locked behind Savage raids.- WRUP: Our Chicken Vindaloo Contains A Normal Amount Of Tungsten EditionThe Massively OP staff and community share their weekend gaming plans, including Lord of the Rings Online, Marvel Heroes Project TAHITI, Monster Hunter Wilds, MechWarrior 5, Warframe, Final Fantasy XIV, 30XX, Sunderfolk, and World of Warcraft. They also discuss discontinued sodas like Sun Drop, Slice, Crystal Pepsi, and Mountain Dew Game Fuel.
US FFXIV Fan Festival 2026 Schedule SharedSquare Enix has revealed the schedule for the US Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026, taking place April 24-25, 2026, in Anaheim, California. The event will feature keynotes from Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida, development panels, and concerts by The Primals. The MMORPG is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC.- Massively Overthinking: So how panicked are we about the state of the games industry?Industry veterans Brenda and John Romero expressed deep concern over the current state of the games industry, citing funding issues, AI concerns, and studio closures. The Massively OP staff discusses these worries, with some feeling resigned and others cautiously optimistic about a potential industry correction, particularly concerning the future of MMORPGs.
FFXIV Online Store Gets Buy for a Friend Item Gifting AgainSquare Enix has reinstated the "Buy for a Friend" gifting option on the Final Fantasy XIV Online Store for several item categories, including emotes, face paint, fashion accessories, minions, mounts, and orchestrion rolls. This feature was previously removed in October 2022 due to concerns over fraud and item reselling. The gifting option is now available for single-character items, with account-wide items marked as unavailable.
Final Fantasy 14 lifts restrictions on gifting after 4 years, allowing players to give other fans of the MMO single-character mounts, minions, and more: "Finally"Square Enix has lifted restrictions on gifting items in Final Fantasy 14, allowing players to purchase mounts, minions, emotes, and more for other accounts via the online store. This change, which has been a long-awaited feature for the community, enables players to share in-game cosmetic items with friends.
There's just no good reason why WoW's story mode raids aren't available right away—and I'm saying that as someone who cleared normal just fine last monthThis opinion piece argues against the time-gating of World of Warcraft's story mode raids, suggesting they should be available immediately upon a patch's release. The author contends that this delay hinders the accessibility of the game's narrative for casual players, despite Blizzard's stated goals for The Worldsoul Saga. While acknowledging the effort in raid design, the current implementation is seen as counterproductive to experiencing the story as intended.- April Fools’ Day pranks and events around the MMORPG and MMO world, 2026 editionMMORPGs across the industry celebrated April Fools' Day 2026 with a variety of in-game events, pranks, and humorous patch notes. Titles like Guild Wars 2, World of Warcraft, Star Trek Online, and Final Fantasy XIV participated with unique in-game activities and themed content.
- Well Fed: If MMORPGs were actually candy…This article humorously compares various MMORPGs to different types of candy, exploring their unique characteristics and player experiences. Games like Final Fantasy XIV are likened to complex UK chocolate bars, while Elder Scrolls Online is compared to steady gummy bears, and World of Warcraft to the distinct sour gummy worms.
MindsEye's first major update, 'Blacklist', really will be used by former GTA lead to 'share some of the evidence of the sabotage’ that apparently made it badBuild a Rocket Boy, led by former Grand Theft Auto developer Leslie Benzies, is releasing a major update for its game MindsEye called 'Blacklist'. Benzies claims the update will include evidence of corporate sabotage that he alleges negatively impacted the game's development and reception. The studio is reportedly cooperating with UK and US authorities regarding these claims.
Crimson Desert Players Are Finding The Best Drip AroundPlayers of Pearl Abyss' action-adventure RPG Crimson Desert are actively sharing creative character outfits and cosplays on Reddit, drawing inspiration from various games like Elden Ring and Final Fantasy XIV. Despite the game's success, selling over 4 million copies, players continue to express frustration with its inventory management system, even after a recent patch.
Final Fantasy 14 lost me with Dawntrail, but The Elder Scrolls Online promises to mend my broken heart with a return to…The author, a longtime Final Fantasy XIV player, expresses disillusionment with the Dawntrail expansion and finds renewed engagement with The Elder Scrolls Online. ZeniMax Online Studios' upcoming updates and seasonal model, including the Night Market event and new Solo Dungeons, are revitalizing the game and offering fresh content for all players.
TAG Community Safety Score: Final Fantasy XIV, Sea of Thieves, Apex Legends & Destiny 2This analysis details the TAG Community Safety Scores for Final Fantasy XIV (71/100), Sea of Thieves (66/100), Apex Legends (62/100), and Destiny 2 (54/100). The scores evaluate games based on moderation infrastructure, response, communication controls, transparency, guidelines, appeals, parental controls, and proactive design. The article highlights how community culture can compensate for infrastructure gaps, the importance of platform integration, and the fixable issue of transparency reporting.
Everything you need to know for Final Fantasy 14's Moogle Treasure Trove event, including what to do with all of…The Final Fantasy XIV Moogle Treasure Trove event, "Hunt for Aphorism," is back, offering players a chance to earn old rewards through various in-game activities until patch 7.5. Players can exchange Irregular Tomestones of Aphorism, obtained from completing challenges like raids, dungeons, and PvP modes, for items such as mounts, minions, and glamour pieces. The guide details how to participate, where to find the Itinerant Moogle, and provides recommendations for the best farming methods and reward priorities.
Crimson Desert voice actor says he had to keep pushing to get a cohesive story for KliffVoice actor Alec Newman, who has been working on Crimson Desert for five years, discussed the challenges of developing a cohesive story for the game. Newman stated that the writing was scattershot and that he had to repeatedly push the developers to clarify plot points and character motivations. This aligns with criticisms of the game's narrative pacing and unclear character goals mentioned in reviews.- Wisdom of Nym: Evaluating the big additions of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail thus farThis analysis evaluates the new content additions in Final Fantasy XIV's Dawntrail expansion, examining features like the 24-person Cloud of Darkness fight, Pilgrim's Traverse Deep Dungeon, The Merchant's Tale Variant Dungeon, and the Occult Crescent field area. While Pilgrim's Traverse and The Merchant's Tale are praised for their innovation and execution, the Cloud of Darkness fight and Occult Crescent are noted for having design flaws or limited engagement potential.
Blizzard is finally giving World of Warcraft fans an official Pride event in a new Midnight update, after 12 years of a…Blizzard Entertainment is introducing an official Pride event within World of Warcraft as part of the upcoming Midnight update. This marks the first official in-game celebration of its kind, building on a 12-year-old fan-led fundraising event for The Trevor Project. The Darkspear Dash microholiday aims to celebrate individuality and identity within the game.- MMO Week in Review: EverQuest’s legacy, Camelot out of chainsThis week's MMO news includes Daybreak's announcement of EverQuest Legacy, a spinoff of the classic game, and the surprise early access launch of Camelot Unchained after eight years in beta. Several other MMOs received updates, including V Rising, New World, and EverQuest II, while Epic Games faced significant layoffs due to overspending and a slump in Fortnite's performance.
Dissidia Duellum: 5 Breakout Characters in Final Fantasy's New Mobile GameDissidia Duellum Final Fantasy, a new MOBA-style mobile game set in Tokyo, has launched from Square Enix. The article highlights five breakout characters from the initial roster, including Warrior of Light, Prompto, Krile, Lightning, and Rinoa, detailing their unique abilities and roles within the game. It also touches on the importance of ability customization and upcoming character additions.
Discussion: Is it okay for an MMO expansion's launch to be buggy?This article discusses whether it's acceptable for MMO expansions to launch with bugs, acknowledging the complexity of these games and the frustration players feel, especially when paying a subscription. While the author expresses sympathy for developers, they also highlight how bugs can negatively impact player progression and the overall launch experience.