Final Fantasy 14 Xbox Version Has Surprising Requirement (2025)

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Summary When Does The Open Beta of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Begin?

Summary

Xbox players wanting to upgrade to the full version of Final Fantasy 14 will need both a game subscription and Xbox Game Pass.
The Xbox open beta version of Final Fantasy 14 will launch on February 21, allowing crossplay with PC, PS4, and PS5 players.
Existing players will not be allowed to participate in the open beta, which is exclusive to new players, but the full version will launch for Xbox at a later date.

Ahead of the launch of the Xbox open beta version of Final Fantasy 14, Square Enix revealed that Xbox players who want to upgrade from the free trial to the full version will require subscriptions to both the game and to Xbox Game Pass. The announcement also revealed that the Xbox open beta version of Final Fantasy 14 will launch on February 21.

During the 2023 Las Vegas Fan Fest, Square Enix first revealed Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, the game's fifth expansion since its 2013 relaunch. Dawntrail will bring the game's first major graphical update and introduce the Viper and Pictomancer Jobs. At the end of the Las Vegas Fan Fest keynote address, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida welcomed Xbox lead Phil Spencer to the stage, and the two confirmed that Final Fantasy 14 was heading to Xbox Series X/S. The subsequent London Fan Fest narrowed down when Xbox players could try Final Fantasy 14, with an initial target window of mid-January to February.

Final Fantasy 14 to End Support for Certain Users

A certain group of Final Fantasy 14 players will not have long to continue playing the game, as Square Enix is pulling the plug on certain systems.

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That target window was proven correct. Square Enix stated that the Xbox Series X/S version of Final Fantasy 14 will launch as an open beta on Wednesday, February 21, at approximately 3:00 a.m. Eastern. The open beta is exclusive to new players, as existing players will not be allowed to participate. But, since Final Fantasy 14 has dedicated servers, Xbox players will be able to play with PC, PS4, and PS5 players from the start. The free trial of Final Fantasy 14, which was expanded in Patch 6.5 to include the Stormblood expansion, will serve as the basis for the Xbox open beta test. However, Xbox players who want to upgrade to the full version will not only need to purchase Final Fantasy 14 but will need both a game subscription and an Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription.

Final Fantasy 14 Xbox Version Has Surprising Requirement (2)

When Does The Open Beta of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Begin?

Wednesday, February 21, around 3:00 a.m. Eastern

By comparison, Final Fantasy 14 players on PS4 and PS5 are not required to use an additional PlayStation Plus subscription on top of the recurring game subscription. Square Enix added that the full version of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Series X/S would launch immediately after the open beta concludes at a later date, similarly to how the PS5 version was handled in 2021.

While the Xbox Game Pass requirement for Final Fantasy 14 is baffling, the service offers a plethora of titles and Day One releases. It remains to be seen if either Square Enix or Microsoft will offer Final Fantasy 14 players some perks to soften the blow of needing two subscriptions to play.

Final Fantasy 14 Xbox Version Has Surprising Requirement (3)

Final Fantasy 14 (2010)

Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
Create your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.
Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward
Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.
Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.
Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Travel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.
Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
A great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope's last bastion.
Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope's light dawns once more.

MMORPG

Franchise: Final Fantasy
Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
Released: August 27, 2013
Developer(s): Square Enix
Publisher(s): Square Enix
Multiplayer: Online Multiplayer
Engine: Crystal Tools
ESRB: T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
Platforms That Support Crossplay: PC, PS4 &PS5
PS Plus Availability: N/A

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