FINAL FANTASY XIV MOBILE Coming Soon?
Nov. 22, 2024FINAL FANTASY XIV MOBILE Coming Soon?
In this article, we’re going to be discussing the new reveal of FFXIV mobile! Yes, after 14 years, the beloved MMORPG is getting a mobile version! We’ll go over the announcement and everything we know, and why I’m really excited to see how it turns out.
Final Fantasy XIV has gone through many expansions and updates over its 14 year history, each expansion brought in new features and content adding to the list of activities you can do in the game. The developer dedication has been rewarded by fans, creating a significant playerbase of over 30 Million registered Users. The game has also won over 200 awards, including The Game Awards’ “Best Ongoing Game.” It’s been recognized for its storytelling, music, and multiplayer experience, with the Endwalker expansion winning multiple awards such as “Role-Playing Game of the Year”.
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After so many years of dedication and success, Square Enix is now taking steps to bring the game to the mobile gaming market, which is both completely unexpected and very exciting. In an interview with Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director of FINAL FANTASY XIV, he explained that creating a mobile version of the game had always been a goal for the team, but they felt that it was also a huge challenge. Making a mobile game that captured the same feel as the original FINAL FANTASY XIV seemed almost impossible, and for a time, they were close to giving up on it.
Fortunately for Square, they would get external help from LIGHTSPEED Studios, the company behind the mobile version of PUBG, who reached out to Square Enix with the goal of making a mobile version of the MMO. Of course this was just the starting point, and the studios would go on to spend a lot of time figuring out how to adapt the gameplay to fit mobile controls without losing that essence that makes the MMO special.
Anyone that plays MMOs regularly is aware that these are usually complex games with complex mechanics, systems and controls. This is normally something that is very difficult to translate into a mobile gaming experience. Square was doubtful and challenged Lightspeed to produce a proposal that addressed the main concerns of mobile development. Would they have to compromise the game’s core elements? How are menus and accessibility to be handled? How would combat feel with a smaller screen and less space for UI feedback? How would monetization work in a mobile setting?
Lightspeed tackled each of these issues head-on and, according to Naoki Yoshida, thoroughly convinced him that this was actually a very promising project and would be a very successful adaptation, kicking off development under Square’s supervision.
For those of you playing the current version of the game and worried about how this may impact you: it won’t. Final Fantasy XIV and its mobile version will be developed and operated separately, with the main FINAL FANTASY XIV version continuing to lead in terms of content releases. However, the team behind the original game will still play a key role in overseeing the mobile version to make sure that it stays true to the FINAL FANTASY XIV experience. They will continue to give strict guidance and feedback to the team working on the mobile game, helping LIGHTSPEED maintain the quality and feel of the original as the mobile version develops.
Combat is of course the core of the game, and it would be the first and most important challenge for the Mobile team. Yoshida explained during an interview that they see key differences between the original MMO and the Mobile version, in that the MMO was made for the PC and Consoles with the idea that players can just boot up their system, sit down, and play the game, whereas with the mobile version, users can have the option to game casually and in short bursts, pretty much allowing them to game on the go.
Lightspeed developed several playable demos for Yoshida and the FFXIV team to try out, and they could successfully get a lot of feedback on how to adapt things while staying true to the feeling of the game. Now this part is pretty quite important to me, because many times I wonder if developers actually play their games. Anyone that plays FFXIV knows that this team absolutely does, so this was a crucial step that I am really happy they took.
According to Yoshida, it has been streamlined so that the key features can remain, but with a mind to guarantee accessibility for the mobile player who is lacking on control tools. An example are adjustments to the Duty Mechanics. They wanted to make sure that taking on Duties (the game’s version of raids) would retain their character and style and still look beautiful when you tackle them in the mobile version. The dev team have also confirmed that high-difficulty multiplayer content, like The Navel (Extreme), will be available in the mobile version.
To achieve this, the original game’s controls have been optimized for mobile controls, with actions fitting into the game’s on-screen buttons and the virtual joystick. Yoshida reassured fans who are concerned about the combat experience, saying that both the combat and content design teams have been closely reviewing and testing the system to make sure it works smoothly on mobile. The FFXIV main team are confident that the adjustments will meet the players’ expectations and give them an experience that matches the PC and console game.
Since Final Fantasy is always a little bit about the gorgeous visuals, the mobile version of Final Fantasy XIV will be using Unreal Engine 4 and PBR (Physically Based Rendering) to make sure the graphics look just as good as the original game. This technology helps recreate the same visual style from the PC and console versions, so players don’t have to worry about the graphics downgrading and being outdated on mobile.
For those who aren’t familiar, the story of Final Fantasy XIV takes place in the land of Eorzea. This fantastical location is rich in history, diverse cultures, and powerful gods. The story begins with the Seventh Umbral Calamity, where the primal Bahamut escapes and causes widespread destruction. Five years later, in A Realm Reborn, players become the Warrior of Light, a hero chosen to save Eorzea from various threats, including powerful enemies and political conflicts. As they progress the story, players uncover hidden truths, face tough challenges, and form alliances to protect the world. The game’s story is in line with Final Fantasy pedigree and one of the best narratives in MMOs, frequently praised for its compelling characters, emotional moments, and deep lore.
For the mobile version, Lightspeed is focused on faithfully recreating that original story and content. The team behind FINAL FANTASY XIV is actively guiding the development to ensure that the story, music, and features are closely adapted for mobile. The mobile version will start with A Realm Reborn, just like the PC and console versions. Given that much of the story is already developed, the team plans to release new updates quickly based on player feedback, keeping the experience fresh while staying true to the original game.
One of my first questions when I found out about this is: are they really porting the entire game, or are we getting bits and pieces, what’s the scope of this and how could it possibly fit on my phone?
The Mobile version of the game will include all the same races as the original game and all 9 new jobs from version 2.0, and you can also switch between the jobs just like in the pc and console versions. Devs have mentioned that they plan to add more jobs and expand roles as more game content is produced and released, so this will be a fully supported and ongoing project just like the PC game is now.
During a developer interview, it was also revealed that the plan is to bring popular features from the original game to the mobile version. This includes activities like fishing, playing cards, Chocobo racing, Triple Triad, Crystal Tower Striker, and the other minigames found in The Manderville Gold Saucer. But this is not all, they will also add classes under Disciple of the Land and Disciple of the Hand to encourage players to fully explore the crafting and gathering systems. Overall these goals seem to show like they want to capture more than just the combat experience and aim to bring all the key aspects of what made the original game so well-received into the mobile version.
Overall, I am quite intrigued by how this is going to work, but so far it is sounding very good. If they can streamline the controls and complexity but retain the core of classes, jobs and exploration, it would be absolutely amazing to be able to explore this world on the go. But of course, there are many challenges and one of them is the monetization of mobile titles, that are often free to play.
There’s a little extra bit of information from Yoshida’s team about this, and it’s that they plan to do a staggered release, getting feedback from the initial regions and adapting and improving before doing a full global launch. It looks like the first region will be China, which isn’t surprising as there is a massive and advanced mobile market there so it would give them a very good training ground to iron out issues before pursuing other areas.
In my experience, MMOs can be very daunting because of the time commitment they represent, and the fact that you have to be at home to playing. The mobile game could be a great chance for people who’ve been interested in FINAL FANTASY XIV but never fully tried it. If you’ve been avoiding subscribing because you only have limited free time or you’re not fully sold on the game yet and wanted to check out the story without committing to the full game, the mobile version could be a really good option. It’s also great for players looking for a game they can enjoy while on the go.
From what I’ve seen from the limited gameplay footage, the mobile version looks very similar to the PC and console versions, especially in places like the Golden Saucer. The combat looks good too, but I’m curious to see how well it runs on different devices and what the minimum required specs are since we don’t have a list yet. Would mid-range phones be able to run the game? We’ll find out soon.
What do you think of FINAL FANTASY XIV coming to mobile? Are you excited to try it out, or do you have concerns about the performance? Let me know your thoughts!
Castielle
Senior Editor at Fextralife. I enjoy gaming, playing and watching sports, cooking yummy food, watching a good movie and hanging out with Fex.
