Final Fantasy 14 producer Naoki Yoshida, lovingly referred to as Yoshi-P, says the secret to keeping his MMO fresh is to treat it like it isn't an MMO at all.
In a group Q&A session (translated by Automaton) during the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival 2024 in Tokyo, Yoshi-P explained what he thinks compels players to continue playing the enduring MMO some 14 years after its initial release. The producer said approaching the drawing board with an open mind not limited by the confines of a traditional MMO is "the secret to not running out of ideas." He added that, along with thinking of the game in the context of a Final Fantasy game instead of an MMO, "taking everything that's good about console games and placing it into the MMO world" is key to keeping things fresh.
Another thing, at least from my humble perspective, that makes Final Fantasy 14 a compelling live service option in 2024, is the consistent release of highly acclaimed expansions like 2019's Shadowbringers and 2021's Endwalker.
Three years later, another major expansion, titled Dawntrail, is due out sometime in summer 2024. Purchasable content includes (but is very much not limited to) a level cap increase from 90 to 100, a new continent called Tural, new cities and areas to explore, new allies, new enemies, new dungeons, new lifestyle content called Cosmic Exploration, new gear and crafting recipes, new... *catches breath*.
The base game will also get the new playable female Hrothgar race (this requires the Shadowbringers expansion), a "major" graphical update, system updates, and Gold Saucer updates. You can get more details at the official site.
Find out where Final Fantasy 14 ranked on our list of the best MMOs available today.
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