Skip to main content

The Final Fantasy XIV free trial has returned

The Final Fantasy XIV free trial is returning to digital marketplaces, allowing players to try a sizable portion of Square Enix’s juggernaut of a multiplayer online Japanese role-playing game. With it, players can play through the entirety of the Heavensward and A Realm Reborn campaigns.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: ENDWALKER Full Trailer

Final Fantasy XIV had always been lauded for how expansive its free trial was until it and the entire game were taken off marketplaces in December 2021. Last month, Square Enix added a new server, allowing new players to once again purchase the entirety of Final Fantasy XIV, and now the free trial returned as well.

The free trial’s reintegration announcement came via a Twitter post and an announcement from the game’s director and producer, Naoki Yoshida, during a “Letter from the Producer” livestream.

The #FFXIV Free Trial has returned! 🤩 https://t.co/1P8M94LE50

Play through the entirety of A Realm Reborn and Heavensward expansions up to level 60 for free with no restrictions on playtime!

We look forward to welcoming you to Eorzea! 👋 pic.twitter.com/20QZneRo5r

— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) February 22, 2022

Square Enix initially took down the trial due to severe flooding of servers due to so many new players joining in through the free trial and veteran players playing through the new Endwalker expansion. Yoshida stated that the new player bump caused “extremely long wait times due to the dense concentration of play hours, which far exceed our server capacity, especially during the peak times.” Thankfully, a few new server choices and two months of cooldown from the hype have solved the situation for now.

Another “Letter from the Producer” stream is set for 3 a.m. PT on Friday, March 4, 2022. During that presentation, Square Enix will share various update details, as well as information on the upcoming patch 6.1. Final Fantasy XIV is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.

Editors' Recommendations

DeAngelo Epps
De'Angelo Epps is a gaming writer passionate about the culture, communities, and industry surrounding gaming. His work ranges…
Creating Clive: Final Fantasy XVI creators unveil the details behind its hero
Clive stands in profile in Final Fantasy XVI.

If you held a March Madness-style tournament to determine the Final Fantasy hero with the most emotional baggage, I’d imagine that Final Fantasy XVI’s Clive Rosfield would at least make his way to the semi-finals. The tortured hero goes through one hell of an ordeal in the action RPG’s dark intro. First, his little brother that he’s sworn to protect gets brutally murdered by Ifrit after a climactic Eikon battle. To add insult to that injury, Clive has his life spared by a rival nation in Valisthea and is forced to serve in their military against his will.

Tough break, kid.

Read more
Final Fantasy XVI’s most impressive innovations are the ones you can hear
Clive walks through a field in Final Fantasy XVI.

Final Fantasy XVI is a leap forward for the long-running RPG series in some very obvious ways, The most immediately apparent way it accomplishes that is through its fantastic real-time combat, which makes the adventure into Final Fantasy’s best pure action game to date. Then there are its cinematic Eikon fights, which offer spectacle on a level we’ve long dreamed of seeing in a video game. However, some of its most impressive innovations are ones you can’t actually see. Rather, you’ll need to listen closely.

Ahead of Final Fantasy XVI’s launch, I spoke to series composer Masayoshi Soken about his work on the project. While we talked a bit about his excellent score, Soken was most eager to share details on the new sound tech that was built for the action RPG. You may not notice it while playing, but Final Fantasy XVI raises the bar for video game audio in ways that might soon carry over into other Square Enix titles.
Audio innovation
In a music panel prior to Final Fantasy XVI’s release, Soken shared a bit about the new sound tech powering the game. The first major innovation he highlighted was the action RPG’s new approach to interactive music, a system meant to make the soundtrack more reactive and dynamic in battles. Rather than looping music during fights, Soken uses audio magic to seamlessly transition between different sections of the score no matter how long it takes a player to move through the fight. Everything down to Clive’s end pose will naturally sync up with the music in every fight.

Read more
The best skills in Final Fantasy 16
Clive summons lightning in Final Fantasy XVI.

It was made clear from the start that Final Fantasy 16 would feature a much more action-oriented battle system than any other entry in the series. While not quite on the level of a Devil May Cry or Bayonetta, the battle system is fast-paced, deep, and allows for tons of experimentation and expression through the various mechanics and skills. While many of the typical JRPG systems have to take a back seat for this new focus, leveling up and learning new skills certainly has not, but instead has changed shape. You will still earn Ability points by leveling up but now spend them as you wish on the various abilities in your menu. There are standard abilities, as well as some tied to your Eikons, and each can be upgraded multiple times to make them more effective. No matter how much you do, you won't be able to master them all in a single playthrough, so here are the best skills to invest in Final Fantasy 16.
Lunge

If you're familiar with the Stinger move in other character-action games, Lunge will instantly be familiar. This move, performed by hitting X and Square at the same time, will cause Clive to lunge forward with his sword toward your target enemy. This is a great way to initiate a battle, or move between targets quickly and while dealing damage. To make it even better, if you interrupt an enemy in the process of attacking you with a Lunge, you can also parry them.

Read more