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| © Provided by Variety |
By Stefanie Fogel, Variety
Square Enix’s massively multiplayer role-playing game “Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn” turns five in September and it’s celebrating with a new milestone — more than 14 million registered players (including free trial accounts) as of today.
That’s kind of amazing when you consider the game’s history. “Final Fantasy XIV” originally launched in 2010, but was shut down following a negative reception from fans of the long-running Japanese RPG series. Square Enix then decided to reboot the game. “A Realm Reborn” was a big improvement over its predecessor, sporting a new game engine, improved servers, retooled gameplay, and more. It became a success and is still going strong five years in.
“Although the original ‘Final Fantasy XIV’ failed to meet expectations, through the support of people in the media, the companies we have worked with, and of course our dedicated players, we were able to launch ‘A Realm Reborn’ in 2013,” said game producer and director Naoki Yoshida in a message for fans. “‘FFXIV’ was indeed reborn, and over the course of these past five years, it has grown to become the title that we all know and love today. I cannot thank you enough.”
Yoshide is hosting a special 14-hour livestream to celebrate the game’s fifth anniversary. It starts on Aug. 31 at 8 p.m. PST/11 p.m. EST. Some of the MMO’s voice actors and developers will guest appear throughout the broadcast. The livestream will also reveal more about the upcoming Prelude in Violet update and Capcom’s Ryozo Tsujimoto will discuss the game’s “Monster Hunter: World” collaboration.
Of course, there’s an anniversary event going on in-game as well. It offers players some seasonal quests and items. It ends on Monday, Sept. 17.
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