Actually, there is a subscription requirement in Final Fantasy XIV. Players must pay a monthly fee to be able to log into the game. Since MeinMMO editor Jasmin had too little time, she skipped the payments in recent months. However, a free promotion brings her back to the game.
I joined Final Fantasy XIV very late. When I started the game, the Endwalker expansion was just announced. A friend encouraged me to just give the game a try, after all, the first expansions are free. And I fell in love instantly.
After I saw the credits roll during Endwalker, I enjoyed the endgame content for a few more weeks – but after some time I let my subscription expire. Due to a career change, it was no longer worthwhile to invest a lot of time in the game.
Has that changed now? But Square Enix has currently started a promotion to bring back lost players like me – and it worked. If you meet the following conditions, you can snag up to 14 days for free:
- You own the full version of FF14
- You do not have an active subscription
- Your subscription expired at least 90 days ago
Then you have the chance to log in for free. The promotion period coincides with the period from August 9 to 31, 2023, which is the Gamescom week, which even has its own role-playing game this year. However, if you are not attending the convention or only for a few days, you can focus intensively on the new content of Final Fantasy XIV.
Why is it worth returning? You can use the game time, among other things, to progress further in the story. Since the end of Endwalker, Square Enix has been releasing new updates that move the story forward.
This way, you are well prepared for the upcoming Dawntrail expansion, which MeinMMO presents in a trailer:
The Dawntrail expansion will be released in summer 2024. Before that, there will be Patch 6.5 in October 2023, followed by Patch 6.55 in January 2024. The quests between the expansions often bridge the old content and lead to the new adventures.
And the story in the patch quests after Endwalker is captivating. I was immediately hooked by the content that awaited me after the final battle against the last boss. It takes the group to another shard world, which has been overtaken by darkness this time.
Furthermore, the dragons are again coming into focus in the story. We experience the tale surrounding Azdaja and Vrtra and the consequences of the conquest of Meracydia.
If you are not interested in the story and just want to focus on the endgame content, you will soon be able to skip most of the story and catch up with a summary:
How do I find my way after returning? Final Fantasy XIV has many mechanics to make it as easy as possible for returnees like me. If your active time was a bit longer ago, you can stick to the following things:
- Get the returnee status and receive a green plant icon. This way, other players can recognize that you are new.
- At the same time, you can join the newbie chat, where a mentor is assigned to you, and you can ask questions about the game.
- Your main quest will be indicated to you with a special symbol. You can recognize where to go to progress in the main story by the meteor symbol.
- Against weak mobs and training dummies, you can practice your rotation again if you might have forgotten it.
The community in Final Fantasy XIV is considered to be very helpful. In no other MMORPG were players so patient when I didn’t immediately understand a content. Instead of insults, I often received tips on how to defeat boss XY. Bad apples were rather rare.
No wonder, then, that Final Fantasy XIV is not only one of my favorite MMORPGs but also convinces our MMORPG specialist Alexander:
Is it worth it as a newcomer? Even if you have so far avoided Final Fantasy XIV, I can highly recommend the title to you. As already mentioned, you can skip the story for real money if you fear losing track.
However, no player will be left behind. Thanks to the randomly chosen content of the dailies, veterans are often grouped with beginners and run the beginner dungeons with them.
This ensures that especially in low-level areas, no dungeon remains empty and players do not have to wait for hours until they find players who want to run the content with them.
With the quests, there is also regular gear that is adjusted for the level. This way, you are well equipped at every level to dive into the trials, dungeons, and other content.
To ensure you are not overwhelmed by the new content, these five tips will help you get back into the game: 5 Tips for Returners in FF14 – This way, you can get on board in time for Endwalker
