Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida's discussions with Nintendo seem to have triumphed, as Final Fantasy XIV is coming to the Nintendo Switch 2. The long-running multiplayer hit is a great fit for the handheld, and I already know my fellow Pocket Tactics writers are hyped to get stuck into it. However, we'll all need to open our wallets a bit more, as things are slightly different for the game's subscriptions.
If you didn't know, Final Fantasy XIV follows the tradition of some of the best MMORPGs, using a monthly, quarterly, or annual subscription model to keep the lights on. I get it, these games are expensive to keep afloat. For the Nintendo Switch 2, players will need to purchase a separate pass for access. Typically, FF XIV memberships are usable across PlayStation, Xbox, and PC, but Square Enix had to make some changes to enable this port.
Without this additional cost, it's unlikely we'd be getting the new Switch game at all. It isn't all doom and gloom, though. An additional cost sounds bad at first, but Square Enix is mitigating some of the price to make it worth your while. First of all, you don't need to buy a Nintendo Switch Online membership to play. Secondly, if you already have an existing FF XIV account with a subscription active, you can get 50% off the Nintendo Switch 2 pass.
Launching in August, Square Enix is holding early access playtests to squash out pesky bugs and gauge performance on a bigger scale. During this period, players can check out Final Fantasy XIV free of charge. At launch, you can expect all of the game's expansions up to Dawntrail, and we expect that the forthcoming Evercold DLC will drop on the Nintendo Switch 2 as well.
Speaking to VGC last year, Yoshi-P said that "when it comes to players who haven't played Final Fantasy 14 before, the younger generation of players, if they started playing Final Fantasy 14 on Switch 2, of course being an MMO, it might be a new genre for them, and I would be super excited to get these new players into this genre and enjoying the game as well."
You can see Yoshi-P demo the game in the presentation above, taking us through the game's open world. There are no glimpses of intense combat, but so far, FF XIV seems to be holding its own on Nintendo's hardware. Will the critically acclaimed MMORPG extend its much-discussed free trial to Nintendo Switch 2 owners? We hope so, as it lets you play up to level 70, with no playtime restrictions. Now that's value.