Final Fantasy XIV is getting a mobile counterpart

Final Fantasy XIV is one of the gaming world's most impressive stories as at its debut it basically failed on all metrics but was then rejuvenated and frequently updated and supported to the point that over a decade later it has more players than ever. Square Enix has no intention of losing the interest in Final Fantasy XIV as the game still gets expansions and updates and even recently finally arrived on Xbox consoles, but the future will revolve around taking the game to mobile platforms.

The Japanese publisher has tapped developer Lightspeed Studios to turn Final Fantasy XIV into a mobile game. The project is described as an "exciting extension of the beloved franchise by capturing the immersive experience of the original title in a fresh, mobile-friendly format." As for what this means in greater depth, Final Fantasy XIV's director and series producer Naoki Yoshida added the following:

"It has been 11 years since FFXIV 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FFXIV, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original's story and combat mechanics on mobile devices. Non-combat features, such as Disciples of the Land and Hand, will also be faithfully implemented and we look forward to growing alongside the passionate FFXIV community."

In terms of gameplay, we're promised that various lifestyle elements will be carried across to this mobile edition, including fishing, Triple Triad, and Chocobo racing. There will be weather and time-of-day systems in place, and broad player and equipment design translations taken directly from the main game and optimised for mobile. The social elements will also be a focal point too, as will having a broad array of jobs, with nine promised at launch.

So, when is the launch? The game will arrive first in China via several tests and will then expand to the wider world, meaning it will likely not be until 2025 at the earliest before European fans can hop into the mobile version of Eorzea.