• Posted October 14th, 2011 at 11:46 EDT by Mike Harradence
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Final Fantasy XIV for PlayStation 3 will finally be released in Q3 2012, Square Enix has confirmed.

The announcement comes following news that the MMORPG will receive a massive overhaul with the introduction of v2.00, which among other things kick starts the game’s paid subscription service.

FFXIV has been a free-to-play effort since its launch on PC last September, in no small part due to a botched release period for the title. However, Square has confirmed it’ll start billing users as of late November/early December.

Naoki Yoshida, producer and director on FFXIV, commented, “Between now and release of the new FINAL FANTASY XIV, we will do as much as possible by way of fine-tuning the game and adding new content. Our focus will be on the theme of a story that can only be experienced in the here and now, and the dramatic changes to Eorzea will be incorporated into that storyline.”

“Each update will deliver an unprecedented and unrepeatable game experience. For those of you continuing to play, I promise that the release of these updates and the eventual transition to the new FINAL FANTASY XIV will both come smoothly and seamlessly."

The PS3 version of the game was originally unveiled at E3 2009, though after numerous delays will finally arrive in the period of October – December next year. During this time, a second free period will also be on the cards, with a mandatory client shakeup for PC owners.

“In the ten months since the FINAL FANTASY XIV team’s restructuring, we have put forth the utmost effort into not only improving the game’s existing features, but also creating a concrete plan to outline the game’s new direction,” said Yoichi Wada, CEO of Square Enix.

“Today, I am pleased to announce we can confidently present that plan to our customers. We fully realize this is but a single step towards our ultimate goal, and that to meet the high standards set in the plan, more time is required. In the meantime, however, we will not waver in our commitment to bringing players exciting and engaging content, even as the game moves through its evolution.”