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Square Enix’s hit MMO Final Fantasy XIV is forging ahead to Xbox. During the annual showcase for the game, Microsoft’s Phil Spencer was brought on stage to reveal the game would be making its way to the Xbox Series X|S in spring 2024.
Console-wise, Final Fantasy XIV has been a PlayStation exclusive, having first started out on the PlayStation 3 with its soft reboot A Realm Reborn, then the PlayStation 4. It only recently came to the PlayStation 5 in 2021 ahead of the release of the most recent expansion, Endwalker.
While there are several MMOs on Xbox (or MMO-alikes, such as Destiny 2), Final Fantasy XIV is one of the biggest out there. And its spring release on Microsoft’s console is coming ahead of the summer 2024 launch of the newly revealed expansion, Dawntrail.
The Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV will come with cross-play for PlayStation and PC. As noted by Kotaku, cross-play was infamously what kept the game from releasing on the Xbox One over a full decade ago.Microsoft’s history with Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy has been a multiplatform franchise for ages, but its relationship with Xbox is a little complicated. 2009’s Final Fantasy XIII was the first single-player game in the series to have a simultaneous release on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, and was a notable shakeup for the franchise at the time.
Various Final Fantasy mainline games and spinoffs have been ported to Xbox consoles over the years, but there are some entries that may just never come to Microsoft’s console. The Final Fantasy VII Remake sub-series is one such example, and the recently released Final Fantasy XVI may be another.
Back in June, it was reported that Microsoft was looking at Square Enix as a potential acquisition target. Doing so would’ve given Xbox a stronger presence in Japan, where Final Fantasy (and other Square franchises) are incredibly popular.
With how much Xbox likes to brag about the third-party games it brings to its ecosystem, finally adding Final Fantasy XIV is a sizable flex.
Announcing #FFXIV for Xbox Series X|S!Following an open beta test during Patch 6.5x, we’ll proceed to the official release in Spring 2024! pic.twitter.com/TZS69Edq4j— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) July 28, 2023
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