After months of whispers and a quiet confirmation through paperwork, Final Fantasy 14 Mobile has officially been announced.
Square Enix is teaming up with Tencent-owned developer Lightspeed Studios to bring the critically acclaimed MMO to the smartphone. As per a press release, the idea is to adapt Final Fantasy 14 in a mobile-friendly format. That means you’re getting some version of the gameplay and story experience as you know it, alongside lifestyle content like fishing, Chocobo racing, and, most importantly, Final Fantasy 8’s Triple Triad card game.
Final Fantasy 14 Mobile also hopes to recreate the MMO’s “unique, welcoming social atmosphere” by offering “genuine, low-pressure interactions.” To achieve that, Square Enix says there are no imposed social goals or forced engagements.
And that’s not all. You can expect plenty of familiar player character and equipment designs alongside weather and time-of-day systems, leading to over 600 different weather patterns across various landscapes. That reads like cat boys in the sun, to me.
It has been 11 years since FF14 2.0: A Realm Reborn launched, and this new mobile game will be a sister to FF14, aiming to recreate the grandeur of the original’s story and combat mechanics on mobile devices,” Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki’ Yoshi-P’ Yoshida says. “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 FF14 community.”
Square Enix has yet to share a release date but does share that the plan is to demo Final Fantasy 14 Mobile through multiple playtests in China before launching globally.