Final Fantasy XIV is coming to mobile devices, amid a confusing announcement

In a shocking and slightly confusing turn of events, Final Fantasy XIV has announced that there is a mobile version of the incredibly popular MMO on the way. It’s officially licensed by Square Enix, but being developed by Lightspeed Studios. 

I have to admit, FFXIV Mobile wasn’t exactly at the top of my wishlist or expectations for 2024, but this is not an entirely unexpected announcement. Back in August, a leaked document revealed the title on a list of licensed games heading to China. This official announcement is simply confirmation that it will also be headed to the west at some point. 

According to the FFXIV Mobile website (which I’d recommend viewing only on mobile devices, as it doesn’t seem to work properly on any desktop browser), the concept of FFXIV Mobile is to relive A Realm Reborn with refreshed graphics and voice acting. Admittedly, it does look really nice and the idea of reliving those early days on the move is incredibly appealing. 

The game will launch with nine playable battle Jobs, 11 crafting classes, and a variety of as-yet-unconfirmed races. Logically speaking, if this is a re-launch of A Realm Reborn for a new platform, then we can expect more recently added races such as Hrothgar and Viera to be missing from the options. Ninja is also likely not to be included as a Job, as it was added during patch 2.4 and wasn’t part of A Realm Reborn when it was originally released. 

Fan reactions on social media have been mixed at best. There are a lot of people excited about the prospect of taking FFXIV on the move, but many players are filled with very reasonable questions. PUBG Mobile, a previous and very successful title released by Lightspeed Studios, is filled with microtransactions, battle passes, and other intricate money-pit features. Is FFXIV Mobile likely to go in that direction as well?

There’s also the question of how FFXIV will even play on mobile devices. Clearly hotbars will be a thing of the past, and the UI is more likely to reflect other mobile MMOs such as Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. Single button action rotations are to be expected, with maybe a couple of extra “special attack” buttons that charge up as you play. 

The website does say that the game can be played alone or solo, though it doesn’t specify whether the mobile version will have standalone servers. If mobile players will be able to join players on other platforms, dungeons are about to get really interesting with excuses like “sorry, my Mom called” or “sorry, went through a tunnel” becoming commonplace when disconnections occur.

Some players have noted that the previously promised Final Fantasy XI mobile game never came to fruition, while others have stated their upset at the fact that money has gone into this rather than focusing on new content for current platforms. Some have pointed out that Black Mages will get the most authentic experience, when casting Fire-aspect spells causes their phones to explode. 

I realize that I’m coming across very negatively about the whole thing here, but that’s not entirely the case. I’d describe my current feelings as ‘wary’, rather than negative. As more details are released and questions are answered, the feelings of the current player base could shift one way or the other, mine included. 

Right now, it’s hard to imagine playing such an epic game on such a small screen, but I guess time and experience will tell. Regardless, you can pre-register to get regular updates now by heading to the FFXIV Mobile website.