Scalpers are looking to make a buck off of Final Fantasy 14's first in-person fan festival since 2019.
Since the player-exclusive ticket purchase period opened earlier this week, players have been reporting that access codes to buy the tickets have been popping up online for close to $1,000 for a pair of tickets. We looked around and, at the time of writing, found several auctions for two tickets kicking off at $500, with some going beyond $1,000 due to various bids.
How valid those purchases end up being, however, is up for some debate. Getting a code to buy Fan Fest tickets during this time meant entering a lottery with your Square Enix account, which you typically use to access Final Fantasy 14. While fans initially thought the access code would be tied to your account, plenty who have now got one believe it can be passed on. Some have acted upon that by handing codes over to pals, whereas others have taken to reselling them.
Regardless, we've contacted the developer for clarification and will update this story if we hear back.
For many in the community, scalping or buying the access code isn't worth the risk. Square Enix has previously said that ID will be required to pick up your ticket at the event, and getting potentially turned away after spending over $1,000 on two ain't worth it, especially as the developer "reserves the right to cancel tickets of attendees whose eligibility is in question". There's also the fact that tickets that go unsold during the player-exclusive phase will go on general sale on March 15, so any scalper would lose out if the community collectively hangs back.
Whether that happens or if FOMO takes over is a different matter. Alongside a celebration of its community, Square Enix typically uses Fan Fest to show off what's coming to the MMO and with the next significant expansion around the corner, chances are that's what we'll see. Coupled with the fact that it's been a few years since we've had an in-person event, you can see why someone might not fancy missing out.
Meanwhile, the series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi is playing so much Final Fantasy 14 that he's getting scolded by colleagues.
