Final Fantasy XIV is now available on Switch 2, with servers having opened at 3:00 AM Pacific (6:00 AM Eastern) this morning. The launch arrives right on schedule after Square Enix confirmed the August 4 date during the Fan Festival 2026 keynote in Berlin, and it brings the MMORPG to a Nintendo console alongside its existing PlayStation, XBOX, and PC versions.
The Nintendo eShop carries three versions of the game: the Starter Edition, the Complete Edition, and the Complete Collector’s Edition, with the free trial also live as of this morning. To celebrate the launch, both versions of the Complete Edition are 30 percent off until August 13. As I said in our best free games roundup, I highly recommend the free trial even if you’ve never played a single Final Fantasy title, so Switch 2 owners curious about the MMORPG have an easy way in.
Final Fantasy XIV remains one of the best games I’ve ever played, and my history with it stretches all the way back to launch. I reviewed A Realm Reborn in 2013, followed a few weeks later by a spoiler-heavy look at its endgame, and most recently covered the Dawntrail expansion in 2024. If the Switch 2 version ends up being your entry point, there’s well over a decade of content waiting.
Square Enix is also waiving subscription fees for approximately one month following the release to help ensure a stable launch experience. Once that period ends, the standard 30-day free play period for registering a new platform kicks in, and after that, a subscription is required. One important detail: the Switch 2 version requires its own separate subscription, regardless of whether you’re subscribed on another platform. If you have remaining game time elsewhere, though, the Switch 2 subscription is available at half price, with the caveat that the discount doesn’t apply while free game time is active on other platforms. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is not required to play, and the Switch 2 subscription itself can only be purchased with FFXIV Coins from the Nintendo eShop, which are spent on the Mog Station and the Online Store. After buying FFXIV Coins, you’ll need to close the game and log back in before they’re credited to your Square Enix account.
Veterans and newcomers alike should be careful during first-time setup, because launching the game permanently links your Switch 2 user profile to your Square Enix account, and the two cannot be unlinked or transferred afterward. If you’re an existing player who wants to continue with your current character, make sure to select the service account you’ve already been using when prompted to register a license, since creating a new service account means you won’t be able to play as your existing character.
There’s a small perk for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, who can register one additional aetheryte as a free destination and teleport to it without spending any gil, exclusive to the Switch 2 version. New characters also get the usual bonuses for starting on New and Preferred Worlds, with the current classifications listed on the Server Status page. As for what’s ahead, Switch 2 players have about five months to settle into Eorzea before the game’s sixth expansion, Evercold, arrives in January 2027.
