While the genre of MMORPGs is already a very tight-knit club of only a few stronghold titles, Final Fantasy XIV has stood out for years now as its most unique success story. After getting the proverbial phoenix down from impassioned director Naoki (“Yoshi-P”) Yoshida just over a decade ago, the game not only made an outstanding comeback but has since grown into one of the most beloved RPGs in recent memory, thanks in large part to its spectacular storytelling, a devoted community that’s now over 50 million strong, and an ongoing experience that pays the utmost respect to the entire Final Fantasy universe.
The previous Endwalker expansion, which dropped right in the middle of the global pandemic, orchestrated an emotional conclusion to the longtime conflict between the Ascians and the Scions of the Seventh Dawn, which culminated in an epic showdown with both Hydaelyn and Zodiark that took our Warrior of Light to the furthest reaches of the universe. The era that started it all came to a heartfelt close, and players around the world grew excited and anxious to see what the new era would entail.
