Final Fantasy XIV Online veterans can surely remember the early days of the game’s disastrous launch and it’s eventual remake — A Realm Reborn — which catapulted the MMORPG into the spotlight and established it as one of the most popular online experiences of all time. With A PlayStation 5 demo slated for the summer and another large-scale content drop in the form of Endwalker, Final Fantasy XIV Online will likely continue to find success. In two different interviews with The Washington Post and VG247, producer Naoki Yoshida commented on the likelihood that players would get to explore Eorzea with their friends on Xbox consoles. 

Yoshida seemed to be less confident in an Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV Online when talking to The Washington Post. The amount of work that goes into different aspects of the game takes considerable time due to the team’s meticulousness: “We have to think about long-term planning with additional platforms, we need additional testing for that particular platform. So it kind of exponentially grows the amount of resources that needs to be allocated.” 

However, Yoshida did offer the inkling of some exciting news with VG247, There are no obstacles for developing the Xbox version,” Yoshida said. “We were able to undertake development and provide our service thanks to the immense efforts that Phil [Spencer] has invested. For that we are truly grateful!” Yoshida would go on to voice the team’s commitment to the platforms that the game is available on, but a potential Xbox release could happen when things settle down:

“Now when it comes to the Xbox version, there’s unfortunately not much I can say presently but just that we cannot work on all the steps simultaneously and need to follow the order for proceeding with these things. Since we’re currently involved in the development of Endwalker and preparing the PS5 version to follow on from the title’s service on PS4, it’d be appreciated if we can return to touch upon the Xbox version once things have settled!”

Last week, I finally gave into temptation and purchased Final Fantasy XIV Online; I just can’t put the game down. And despite having most of my free trial days left, I’ve been considering the monthly subscription for a more fleshed-out experience. Personally, I’d be excited to see the game on Xbox consoles so that more people  get the chance to try it out. 

[Source: The Washington Post and VG247 via Windows Central]