In July 2023, Square Enix and Microsoft jointly announced that the popular MMO game Final Fantasy XIV Online would finally be released for Xbox Series X and S consoles. In October, Square Enix revealed that the open beta test for Xbox owners would start sometime in mid-January to February. This week, we got a more specific time frame for when the open beta period would begin.
During the live-streamed Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in Tokyo this weekend, Square Enix stated the Xbox open beta of the game is currently targeted to begin around February 21. The announcement added that this open beta date is not set in stone, so it could be changed a few days behind or ahead of Feb. 21. The full Xbox launch of Final Fantasy XIV Online on the Xbox platform is still scheduled for sometime in the spring of 2024.
As you might imagine, that reveal was just one of many different news announcements that was made during the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival livestream. Another reveal was the full trailer for the next major expansion for the game, Dawntrail.
The over 5-minute cinematic trailer for Dawntrail showed off what players can expect to see in the expansion. There will be a new continent to explore, Tural, which will include new cities like Tuliyollal and Solution Nine, along with new enemies, a new raid series, new dungeons, and other features. Players can also experience two new jobs (Viper and Pictomancer) with the expansion, and a new playable race, the female Hrothgar. The expansion is due out sometime in the Summer of 2024 for Windows, Mac, PS4, PS5, and, yes the Xbox Series X|S consoles.
Finally, Square Enix revealed that a special Final Fantasy XIV Online-Final Fantasy XVI crossover questline event will begin sometime in April.