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 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.
