Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn has hit its one-year anniversary. Square Enix and players are celebrating.
The MMORPG, a reboot of the disappointing 2010 original, hit PlayStation 3 one year ago today. That version was an excellent game well worth any PS3 owner’s attention, but the PS4 version, launched this past April, is even better.
A Realm Reborn’s one-year anniversary comes amidst weeks of in-game and out-of-game activities and events, including a 14-hour developer livestream, daily art postings, a movie contest, and the Moonfire Faire. Today marks the beginning of even more. The Rising, a seasonal event to mark the anniversary, kicked off earlier today alongside developer messages thanking fans for supporting the game.
Here’s what Shinji Hashimoto, Final Fantasy Brand Manager, had to say:
“I am very grateful for all the support that we’ve been given by the players, since the days of FFXIV 1.0. Watching the relaunch of the title, I was galvanized by the huge leap forward taken by the world setting. In particular, I ‘ll never forget the amazement of watching "Through the Maelstrom" and "End of an Era" trailers. Every FINAL FANTASY title has a difficult, painful birth. I hope that A Realm Reborn will be a child that continues to be loved, around the world.”
There’s more coming, too, including the return of Final Fantasy XIII’s Lightning to Eorzea, the appearance of Towering Golems from Dragon Quest X, and more updates to the Tales from the Calamity lore series.
But perhaps most powerful of all, especially for any longtime Final Fantasy devotee who’s stuck out the series’ recent troubles, is a message from A Realm Reborn creative director Naoki Yoshida, a man with no small share in turning things around for a company whose hubris damaged relationships with many fans.
“The team and I believe that the true challenge for an MMO begins with its first year of updates, and we took this to heart as we poured our souls into the game’s development,” Yoshida said in his latest Letter from the Producer. “From a player’s perspective, I’m sure there have been quite a few shortcomings in the game thus far, but we’ve continued to work at breakneck pace, and everyone on the team can hardly believe that it’s already been a year.”
“I’d like to say a special thanks to our legacy players, who have stood by us through thick and thin. Without your staunch support these past four years, we wouldn’t be here to celebrate the first anniversary of A Realm Reborn. Our journey in Eorzea is just beginning, and I look forward to creating a beautiful world we can be proud to explore together for years to come.”
As a player, I look forward to seeing where Yoshida and Square Enix take us.