This news is very exciting for Final Fantasy fans on Xbox, as the MMO has only been available on PC and PlayStation consoles thus far. Final Fantasy 14 coming to Xbox would also be great for the game, as it would gain exposure to an entirely new audience. The idea of it coming to Xbox has also brought up the possibility in the heads of fans that it may be included Xbox Game Pass, as other MMOs and Final Fantasy titles have been featured on the service already.
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How Other MMOs Have Fared on Xbox Game Pass
The Elder Scrolls Online is one of the biggest console MMOs, and its base game is included in the Xbox Game Pass library on consoles. The pairing is especially effective since Elder Scrolls Online does not require a subscription fee, but does offer one for players who want a few extra features to help them progress through the game. This allows the game to still get some more revenue from Xbox Game Pass subscribers, whether it be through a monthly subscription, microtransactions, or purchasing one of the game’s various expansions and DLCs. The MMO is not included in a PC subscription of Xbox Game Pass, but its developers have praised the console-side of the subscription service for helping it catch the eyes of new players.
Another MMO on Game Pass that follows a similar structure is Fallout 76, although it only has a subscription membership with microtransactions and no expansions to entice players with. Despite this, Bethesda’s Todd Howard has said that Xbox Game Pass was huge for Fallout 76, as it renewed interest in the game and helped grow its player base, which is critically important for MMOs. Bungie’s Destiny 2 also gained a similar jump in population when it was added to Xbox Game Pass sans its most recent expansions, so there is evidence that the subscription presents a strong opportunity for live service games to gain an influx of players on the platform.
How Being on Game Pass Would Be Huge for Final Fantasy 14
Obviously, Final Fantasy 14 is doing just fine when it comes to its player count. Just last week it FF14 passed the impressive milestone of 24 million players, but Xbox Game Pass still has some benefits to offer. A large potential benefit is that the move would help the MMO expand its presence on consoles. Many big MMOs don’t offer console versions, so Final Fantasy 14 being available on both Xbox and PlayStation would help give it a leg up on current and future competition. This could help guarantee its longevity against titans of the genre like World of Warcraft and bigger newcomers like New World.
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The jump to Xbox consoles would also expose the game to an entirely new crowd and would likely lead to another massive jump in its player numbers. This would not only ensure that queue times for activities stay lower across the board, but it would also raise the game’s expansion sales, as the new players would undoubtedly want to experience the game’s highly praised expansions, endgame content, and Final Fantasy 14’s newer jobs. To sweeten the pot for the developers, translating the game to Xbox would still take a lot of work, but the team would not have to re-invent how the game’s UI and controls work, as it could function similarly to how it does on PlayStation consoles.
What Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Game Pass Could Look Like
The biggest question that would have to be answered regarding Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Game Pass would be how its monthly subscriptions are handled. As of right now, all Final Fantasy 14 players have to maintain one of two levels of monthly subscriptions to access their characters after they reach level 60. This helps the MMO continue to grow and be worked on by the developers while giving players a very large window to check the game out for themselves before committing to it. One possible solution to this is for the subscription to be included in every Xbox Game Pass membership similar to how EA Play is. This would be a huge plus for playing the MMO on Xbox while letting it still get revenue from both the deal with Microsoft and methods like expansions and microtransactions.
Another question regarding the game possibly coming to Xbox Game Pass is crossplay. Xbox has largely been very welcoming of players on its platforms joining in with players on other consoles and PC, but PlayStation has been far less so. Final Fantasy 14 currently supports crossplay between PlayStation and PC, but PlayStation’s reluctance towards crossplay has seen it being excluded from numerous titles like Gang Beasts, Minecraft, and Borderlands 3. If the MMO does come to Xbox, it could be that PlayStation would no longer want to be included in its crossplay, or that it would push for Xbox players to play separately from the other platforms.
Whether or not Final Fantasy 14 makes its way onto Xbox Game Pass, it possibly coming to Xbox consoles at all is very exciting for fans of the series as well as players of MMOs. With the newest Final Fantasy 14 expansion looking amazing as well, fans of the game have plenty to look forward to, so hopefully there will soon be some official news on whether Xbox fans should start getting ready to explore the land of Eorzea.
Final Fantasy 14 is available on PC and PlayStation 4. Its newest expansion Endwalker releases on November 23.
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