Final Fantasy 14: PS5 release date, classes, free trial and latest news

It’s been a strong couple of years for Final Fantasy 14 (styled as Final Fantasy XIV). In 2019, the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released its third expansion, Shadowbringers, to widespread critical acclaim. This major content release sits at a strong 90/100 on Metacritic, with an equally glowing user score.

Looking at the future, Square Enix recently announced Endwalker, its fourth expansion due out in Fall 2021, which will take Warriors of Light to mystical new locales including the Moon. Final Fantasy 14 is also making its way to PS5, with those who own the game on PS4 eligible for a free upgrade. 

Even though the future of FF14 is looking rather rosy, the development team at Square Enix has struggled with the Covid-19 outbreak. It’s made no secret of this fact, as months-long content delays were met with apologies from the team. Aside from these hiccups, though, Final Fantasy 14 has managed to keep a somewhat steady patch release schedule throughout Shadowbringers, keeping players engaged with new story quests, raids and other unique forms of content.

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But what makes Final Fantasy 14 stand out from the crowd? Unlike most other MMOs, FF14 focuses very broadly on its story. It’s a cutscene heavy experience with an abundance of stylized “old English” dialog and a wealth of lore for concepts both grand and small. Even much of the game’s side content will tie back into the main story in some way.
What is Final Fantasy 14?

 Final Fantasy 14 is an MMORPG that was originally released in 2010. This version of the game, collectively referred to as “1.0,” was a far cry from the game players know and love today. Filled with bugs, confusing gameplay, needless progression roadblocks and poor optimization, it was soon shelved in order for the game to undergo a massive rework. This led to 2013’s release of Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn on both PC and PlayStation 3.

Final Fantasy 14 is currently available on Windows 10, Steam and PlayStation 4. A PS5 version of the game is also on the way, with an open beta scheduled for release on April 13. The open beta will be available to try for players who have the game registered on PS4. When fully released, the PS5 upgrade will be available to PS4 players at no extra cost.

The PS5 version of Final Fantasy 14 boasts a high-resolution interface (something that has actually been lacking, even on the current PC and PS4 versions), much faster load times between areas, as well as support for 4K resolution and general improvements to performance.

As a massively multiplayer online game, the world of Final Fantasy 14 is shared among thousands of players simultaneously. Players can choose to undertake quests solo, or team up with other players and/or friends to tackle instances like dungeons, raid bosses and much more.