Mark Your Calendars! Square Enix drops the final date for the much-anticipated Final Fantasy XIV ‘Xbox Open Beta Test’
What you need to know
- Square Enix has just revealed the date for the game’s upcoming Xbox Open Beta Test on Lodestone, the official website for Final Fantasy XIV.
- The Xbox Open Beta Test will begin on February 21, 2024, at 8:00 (GMT), 19:00 (AEDT), 3:00 (ET), and 0:00 (PT) and take place on Xbox Series X|S consoles.
- Final Fantasy XIV is the series’ second MMORPG and will soon receive its fifth expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, in the summer of 2024.
After many months of anticipation, Square Enix has finally announced when the Xbox Open Beta Test for Final Fantasy XIV will launch. According to Final Fantasy XIV’s official website, Lodestone, the Xbox Open Beta Test will begin on February 21, 2024, at 8:00 (GMT), 19:00 (AEDT), 3:00 (ET), and 0:00 (PT).
The full details on how to join the Xbox Open Beta Test are as follows:
How to participate in the Xbox Open Beta Test
To join the Xbox Open Beta Test, players will need to adjust the privacy settings on their Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S with the following options in the Communication & Multiplayer section:
- “You can join multiplayer games,” set to Allow
- “You can join cross-network play,” set to Allow
- “Others can communicate with voice, text, or invites,” set to Everybody
- “You can communicate outside of Xbox with voice & text,” set to Everybody
Then, in the previous “View details & customize menu,” select Game content and confirm the “You can see and upload community creations” option set to ‘Everybody.’
Afterward, go to the Microsoft Store, search for Final Fantasy XIV, and click on the product page. At the “…” option menu, select and download “Final Fantasy XIV Free Trial” into your Xbox Series X|S.
Once the installation is complete, launch the game and follow the on-screen instructions to begin playing it.
Xbox Open Beta Test requirements, content and limitations
The Xbox Open Beta Test will contain all the content of Final Fantasy XIV’s Free Trial, including everything from Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood. However, players won’t be able to purchase DLC from Final Fantasy XIV’s Online Store.
The Free Trial version of Final Fantasy XIV and the Xbox Open Beta Test will not require players to purchase an Xbox Game Pass subscription (Core or Ultimate) to play. However, the full Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV will require an Xbox Game Pass (Ultimate or Core) subscription for Xbox players to play.
Details for existing FFXIV players
Furthermore, suppose a player already has access to the Free Trial version of Final Fantasy XIV on a different platform (such as PlayStation consoles or PC) or owns a Final Fantasy XIV license registered to their Square Enix account. In that case, they will be forbidden from participating in the Xbox Open Beta Test.
Square Enix requests players who wish to play the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV with their existing accounts and characters to wait until the full Xbox version launches.
In addition, Xbox players will need to their Microsoft account to their Square Enix account. Once this process is complete, players cannot unlink the accounts. Square Enix requests that players hold off on doing this until the Xbox version is officially released.
Square Enix plans the full Xbox Series X|S version of Final Fantasy XIV immediately after the Xbox Open Beta Test. The conclusion of the Xbox Open Beta Test will be announced later after thorough examinations.
In addition, all your progress during the open beta will carry over to the full game, and you won’t be required to re-download the game from scratch to play. Square Enix will announce the full Xbox Series X|S version’s release date and when players can transfer their data at a later date.
Square Enix also states that should any maintenance be required to address any technical problems uncovered during the Open Beta Test, they will announce them separately later.
Soon Xbox players will finally be able to play Final Fantasy XIV
It has been a long time coming, but soon, Xbox players will finally be able to experience one of Square Enix’s best PC games and embark on their own Final Fantasy-inspired adventures with friends.
They will also get to experience Final Fantasy XIV’s next upcoming expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, at the same time as the PC and PlayStation players when it launches in the summer of 2024.
Stay tuned for more info as we keep an eye out for the release date of the upcoming Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV and more details regarding Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, which will be adding tons of new content, including new Jobs, new mounts, new playable Races and much more.
