Last July, Square Enix announced, to the surprise of many, that Final Fantasy XIV was finally coming to Xbox. Players will get their first taste of what I consider the best MMORPG on February 21, 2024, at 12:00 am Pacific (February 22 at 3:00 am Eastern) when the open beta test begins. Interestingly, it will be available exclusively to new players experiencing the game for the first time. The open beta test will feature the same content and limitations as the Free Trial Version, minus the ability to make optional Online Store purchases.
However, the most significant news from the open beta announcement is the confirmation that neither the Free Trial version nor the open beta test will require an Xbox Game Pass—Core or Ultimate—plan to play. However, the full version will require an Xbox Game Pass subscription to play. This differs from PlayStation, where active Final Fantasy XIV subscribers are not required to have a PlayStation Plus subscription to play the MMORPG.
Existing players on other platforms who already have the Free Trial version or a Final Fantasy XIV license registered to their Square Enix account will not be able to participate in the open beta test. They will need to wait for the full Xbox launch to link their Microsoft and Square Enix accounts. Creative Business Unit III plans to launch the Xbox Series X|S version immediately after the open beta test concludes, but the exact date will be announced once the team has reviewed the open beta test results.
