For those that are well-acquainted with Final Fantasy XIV Online, on either PlayStation 4 or PC, the game has and continues to this day to further expand on the growing universe cultivated by Square Enix and its players. Since its debut back in 2014, the multiplayer installment grew to becoming a prominent entry on its supported hardware. But, the game never saw the light of day on Xbox at all.
Despite the potential discussions that grew between Square Enix & Microsoft in the past, a Xbox version is still nowhere to be seen. Although Microsoft did comment previously on its committed promise to carry forward with the remainder of Final Fantasy titles for Xbox Game Pass and the platform ultimately – the same cannot be said for Final Fantasy XIV.
But in a new interview with The Washington Post, it is discovered that the problem with there being no Xbox version is due to the strict schedule of content flow for the game which would be disrupted by an Xbox version entering development.
We provide content on a fairly regular basis and our cycle is rather condensed. And it is a fairly stable cadence that we continue to follow. … 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.
Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy XIV Online Producer & Director
In addition to the statement on the absence of Final Fantasy XIV Online on Xbox, Yoshida proceeds to further issue another comment on the situation, thanks @Nibellion. “There are no obstacles for developing the Xbox version. We were able to undertake development and provide our service thanks to the immense efforts that Phil has invested. For that we are truly grateful,” Yoshida explains.
“The sole factors are the workload and the order of steps. 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!”
Elsewhere recently in regards to Final Fantasy XIV Online, Square Enix finally announced the next expansion for the title – Endwalker. The forthcoming story add-on is told to ship sometime in fall 2021 with a closed beta taking place this coming April. You can read the full report by heading here.
Are you hopeful Final Fantasy XIV Online will come to Xbox later down the road?
Final Fantasy XIV Online is currently available for PlayStation 4 and PC.
Source: The Washington Post, VG24/7
