The original Final Fantasy 14 had a rough go of things at the start. A lackluster launch convinced Square Enix to not just overhaul the game, it convinced the company to make a different game entirely. With the launch of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn three years later, the game finally hit its stride and has continued growing in player count since, surpassing 20 million players back in July of this year after receiving tons of content-heavy updates to keep the game alive and thriving.
But, that doesn’t keep some people from looking into the future. Will there ever be another Final Fantasy MMORPG? The simple answer: if Square Enix thinks it would be profitable, then nothing will stop it from happening. That being said, there are already a ton of great MMORPGs out there, and there are a plethora of factors to look at when deciding whether or not there would be enough demand for another Final Fantasy MMORPG specifically.
Again, Final Fantasy 14 is still massively popular. It is one of the most played MMORPGs in the world, meaning it’s much more worth the time investment for Square Enix to continue developing content for that as opposed to taking the risk of developing another game entirely. This is a situation that it has faced before, with Final Fantasy 11 (which actually received an update this year) and Final Fantasy 14, which were released about eight years apart (while Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn was released in 2013). That risk, fortunately for Square Enix, did pay off, but not without a fair share of hardship.
That’s not necessarily a risk worth taking again. The jump between FF 11 and 14 shows that, even for a series that’s made a solid and well-received MMORPG before, it’s not guaranteed that lightning will strike twice. An MMORPG is a huge investment; there’s not necessarily any reason to take that risk when the developer already has a successful game sitting there. The visual leap alone between the aforementioned games made it worth developing a new one, with FF14 being one of the best-looking MMO‘s out there. That visual leap probably wouldn’t be as drastic between FF14 and a new model.
And, new players are currently flocking to the game the last few months especially after Square Enix improved the new player experience in Final Fantasy 14, trimming the fat and letting players get into the meat of the content quicker. This means better player retention and a surge in the active player base. Those new players aren’t likely to stick around if they know another Final Fantasy MMORPG is right around the corner.
If Square Enix did develop a new Final Fantasy MMORPG, it might not look anything like Final Fantasy 14. This alone would be a huge risk: it could continue developing for Final Fantasy 14, and then hope to attract entirely new players to the new Final Fantasy MMORPG. Or, they could discontinue support for the immensely successful Final Fantasy 14 and hope to shift players’ interest towards the new FF MMORPG. This would run two risks, both irritating players who’ve spent years with their character and would like to continue playing FF14, and alienating those players by changing any gameplay mechanics.
If Square Enix develops an MMORPG too similar to FF14, it could be received as stale, unimaginative, and ultimately needless. If it develops something new that changes the MMO genre, it risks players that loved FF14 not being into it, and thus probably not having as healthy of a player base. For Square Enix, it’s simpler to just continue developing a game that’s gaining more and more success, and ride that wave as long as it lasts.
If Square Enix does decide to develop a new Final Fantasy MMORPG, it’s likely going to be ways off. There’s just not really much reason to do so until interest in Final Fantasy 14 wanes, and even then, it’s impossible to know what the ever-evolving gaming landscape is going to look like. The gaming market has seen a shift towards live-service games like Fortnite, Rainbow Six Siege, and Destiny 2, so that’s definitely a point in an MMORPG’s favor. Subscription-based models are even making a comeback, making it more likely players would be used to and willing to spend money on a monthly subscription model, even if it’s not necessary to play the game. But there’s no guarantee that will be the case in the future.
Regardless, for fans of the Final Fantasy series, and for those that love MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is still going strong, and it doesn’t look like it’s going away anytime soon. Plus, Final Fantasy 16 has recently been announced, showcasing the franchise’s return to a medieval setting. Not to mention fans have yet to see anything on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2. Even if there’s no new MMORPG on the horizon, the Final Fantasy series looks to be in good shape for many years to come.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is available for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
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