Final Fantasy XIV
News, coverage and analysis tracking Final Fantasy XIV across the outlets.
Latest coverage
MMO Week in Review: Guild Wars goes mobile, Bungie gets layoffs
This week's MMO news includes Guild Wars launching on mobile, Star Trek Online's new update, and Throne & Liberty's summer expansion. However, the industry also saw significant layoffs at Sony and Bungie, impacting hundreds of developers working on Destiny 2 and Marathon. Other news includes Valve's Steam Machine pricing, the ongoing Ashes of Creation lawsuit, and updates on Grand Theft Auto VI's online multiplayer.
Final Fantasy XIV says Dawntrail’s Arcadion raids will be ‘a firm guideline’ for fights in Evercold
Final Fantasy XIV assistant director Tsuyoshi Yokozawa stated that the Arcadion raid series from Dawntrail will serve as a guideline for future battle content, including upcoming fights in Evercold. The team aims to create unique, engaging boss mechanics with a focus on novelty and player connection, while still incorporating challenging wipe mechanics.
Wisdom of Nym: Why do so many of Final Fantasy XIV’s base jobs struggle with identity?
This article discusses how many of Final Fantasy XIV's original jobs, such as Monk, Dragoon, Bard, and Summoner, have undergone significant revisions over time, leading to a struggle with maintaining a consistent identity. Unlike newer jobs like Red Mage and Samurai, these older jobs have been fundamentally redesigned multiple times by the same development team, prompting questions about the evolving design philosophy for core MMORPG roles.
Square Enix’s newly opened LA theme cafe offers up stylish food in a grim-looking atmosphere
Square Enix has opened a new themed cafe in Los Angeles, California, featuring food and merchandise inspired by Dragon Quest, NieR: Automata, and Final Fantasy. While the menu items reference games like Final Fantasy XIV, the cafe's decor is described as grim and lacking in color, drawing comparisons to a prison mess hall.
Choose My Adventure: Steamrolling low-level bosses and storming roulettes in Final Fantasy XIV
The author discusses regaining confidence in Final Fantasy XIV by completing challenging "Extreme" boss fights unsynced, which helped overcome a feeling of apathy and self-doubt. This personal progress has also led to a decision to try Destiny 2, with readers being polled on whether to start anew or continue with an existing character.
Someone is playing World of Warcraft Classic on their mobile. Yes, they're a heathen.
A Reddit user has successfully streamed World of Warcraft Classic to a mobile device using Nvidia's GeForce Now cloud gaming service. While the setup is described as 'cursed' and features a non-customizable interface with some latency, the user found it surprisingly enjoyable. This development raises questions about the future of MMORPGs on mobile platforms, especially with other titles like Final Fantasy XIV Mobile in development.
Final Fantasy XIV opens up pre-orders for its fourth Eorzean Symphony album
Pre-orders are now open for the fourth Eorzean Symphony album, featuring orchestral music from Final Fantasy XIV. Fans can purchase a physical version which includes two in-game Orchestrion rolls, or download the album from various music services. The release coincides with fan anticipation for new music ahead of the next fan festival.
MMO Jukebox Song of the Week: Chocobo Theme (Final Boss variant) from FFXIV
This week's MMO Jukebox features the 'Chocobo Theme (Final Boss variant)' from Final Fantasy XIV, a rock-inspired track by Husky by the Geek. The article highlights the importance of music in MMOs and invites readers to share their favorite soundtrack moments.
Final Fantasy 14 gets a shoutout in Deltarune Chapter 5 with an Easter egg that forever immortalizes one dev's love…
Deltarune Chapter 5 includes an Easter egg referencing the MMORPG Final Fantasy 14, inspired by the real-world artist Temmie Chang's known love for the game. The reference appears in a text bubble related to the character Temmie, who is based on Chang. Lead developer Toby Fox is aiming for Deltarune Chapter 6 to launch next year.
Vague Patch Notes: Who owns the eras of an MMO?
This analysis explores the concept of ownership in MMORPGs, questioning who truly owns specific eras or versions of a game that evolves over time. It argues that while players form strong attachments, the ultimate ownership and decision-making power rests with the development studio, such as Blizzard Entertainment for World of Warcraft. The article suggests that accepting this reality and engaging with the current version of a game is more productive than dwelling on past iterations.
The Faces of Livestreaming: Skybilz
Twitch streamer Skybilz discusses her journey into streaming in 2013, her passion for using gaming for charitable causes, and her current focus on "deathless" runs for the YOLO Challenge. She highlights the importance of community engagement and entertaining viewers, particularly through retro games and randomizer challenges, and her work supporting the Shameless Fund for LGBTQ+ nonprofits.
Choose My Adventure: My return to the fascinating and fun Pictomancer job in Final Fantasy XIV
The author discusses their return to the Pictomancer job in Final Fantasy XIV, noting the unique mechanics and aesthetic of the class. Despite initial struggles with rotations and resource management, they found the job to be a fascinating and distinct experience within the MMORPG genre.
Final Fantasy 14 has done something I did not expect—it's actually fixed one of the most annoying things…
Final Fantasy 14 has received a hotfix that addresses an inconsistent teleportation mechanic within the Dancing Mad raid. Previously, teleports were based on player position, leading to issues with server-side discrepancies. The fix now ensures teleports are fixed distances from the panel's center, improving reliability and preventing wipes caused by netcode quirks.
Warframe dev says 'no one is celebrating' Destiny 2 winding down: 'A game is healthy when you have…
Warframe's community director Megan Everett expressed sadness, not celebration, over Destiny 2 winding down, emphasizing that healthy competition benefits the entire gaming industry. She believes that having strong competitors like Destiny 2 pushes games to improve, and it's a shame to see a game with a dedicated player base reach this stage, especially when support seems to have arrived too late.
Final Fantasy 14 fans make their own in-game Tinder, with gil-hungry bunny boys and modded cat girls galore
Final Fantasy 14 players have created an unofficial Tinder-like add-on called AetherLove, allowing users to create profiles and 'swipe' on other players within the game. The tool has gained traction within the community, sparking discussions and sharing of screenshots online, while also raising questions about its longevity before potential action from Square Enix.
Wisdom of Nym: Speculating on Final Fantasy XIV Evercold’s weekly activity system
This opinion piece speculates on the upcoming weekly activity system in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, cautioning against overconfidence due to limited information. The author analyzes potential implementations by comparing it to current tomestone systems and discussing how it might encourage broader engagement with various in-game activities.
I had my doubts about Critical Role's new 13-player D&D campaign, but its latest episodes have me fully bought…
This article discusses Critical Role's ambitious 13-player Dungeons & Dragons campaign, praising its ability to manage multiple storylines and player tables. The author highlights the recent episodes where all parties converged, noting the successful implementation of legitimate character death and consequences, which solidifies the campaign's stakes and potential for a masterpiece.
Guild Wars' devs tried to escape the MMO branding in 2005, citing all the things that would become genre staples 20…
Developer ArenaNet discussed the original Guild Wars' branding struggles, noting that despite efforts to market it as a Cooperative Online RPG (CORPG), it was widely perceived and awarded as a Massively Multiplayer Online RPG (MMORPG). This is contrasted with modern MMOs like Final Fantasy 14 and World of Warcraft, which incorporate more soloable content and NPC party systems, elements that Guild Wars originally emphasized to differentiate itself.
MMO Week in Review: ArcheAge’s revival, Guild Wars’ CCG
This week's MMO news roundup covers a variety of topics including Guild Wars receiving a CCG in China, ArcheAge's revival, and Richard Garriott's efforts to regain Ultima copyright. It also features updates on Tomo Endless Blue's Kickstarter success, Embers of the Uncrowned, and Diablo Immortal's new Warlock patch.
'I was like, am I gonna pass out on stage?': Final Fantasy 14's rock band on transcending from videogame music to on-stage at the UK's biggest rock and metal festival
Final Fantasy 14's in-house rock band, The Primals, led by composer Masayoshi Soken, discusses their experience performing at the UK's Download Festival. The band members, including Michael-Christopher Koji Fox and GUNN, shared their excitement and exhaustion from the high-energy set, noting how videogame music and rock music have become increasingly intertwined.
