The success of Final Fantasy XIV has been heavily explored over the past decade by critics, and rightfully so - it’s one of the few examples of a game that released to an evisceration from critics and somehow rebounded to become the most important MMORPG heading into the next ten years of gaming. What began as one of the worst iterations of a genre full of titles attempting to stake their claim as the next big thing slowly evolved into the deepest, most lovingly crafted online service among MMORPGs today, and that’s rewarded developer Square Enix with a playerbase that has now surpassed 18 million registered players.
That number would have been impressive during the dizzying highs of World of Warcraft’s torrid success in the late 2000s, but it’s especially impressive given the fact that it’s happening during a time period that many consider to be the nadir for MMORPGs as a whole. Subscription numbers have been in flux for World of Warcraft over its past few expansions, with the expected resurgence of consumers with each release dwindling in number before the next. Many of the other games that were considered legitimate contenders have fallen off to the wayside, with even big names like The Elder Scrolls Online and Guild Wars 2 failing to gain the traction that was expected of them. While the former is beginning to build momentum with an eye towards 2020 and beyond, there’s really only been one MMORPG with the reach and player count to really claim that it’s pushing the genre forward - and that’s FFXIV. The sublime Shadowbringers expansion that had critics raving over its deep story and slew of quality additions to the overall player experience.
All of this is to say that, yes, FFXIV had an incredible final year of the decade. What it has also done, though, is provide a successful blueprint for other games to follow - and not just those in its own genre, either. As the video game industry continues to eye live service gaming as a viable and profitable business model, FFXIV consistently provides evidence that such a structure can be enjoyable. Consumers have had issues with live service titles that offer little for what they consider to be a hefty investment of resources, whether it be time, money, or both, and FFXIV has not been accused of that despite its prolonged existence. If live service models are to evolve, and if MMORPGs are to continue to push into the next decade of gaming, FFXIV’s success will likely be both blueprint and barometer for the viability of either. Here’s a look at some of the reasons why FFXIV will be important to the next decade of gaming, perhaps even moreso than it was during the 2010s.
FFXIV Continues to Set the Bar for Content Additions
Whether it’s full-blown expansions like Shadowbringers or patches that bring huge updates like the NieR: Automata crossover event that has been so popular among players, FFXIV continues to set the bar for content additions in gaming. Other games, like Fortnite and League of Legends, operate using similar models of content additions, though they obviously take different forms since the three games span three different genres. However, what sets FFXIV apart is the way that its content additions have tied into an evolving story that’s more involved than either of the other two examples. Content that has replayability is a more challenging endeavor for an MMORPG than a multiplayer battle royale or a MOBA. To make up for the lack of dynamic, player-directed changing content that exists in these other genres, FFXIV gets by with sheer quality, crafting intricate multiplayer raids and trials all while telling a story that has become one of the better narratives in Final Fantasy history.
FFXIV’s content additions have also begun pushing hard for accessibility, whether it be the ability for players to quickly level up a character to jump into fresh content or the removal of some of the grindier elements of the earlier expansions, the latter of which have plagued new players and challenged their interest in the game. As more ease of life additions to the game continue, it will be interesting to see if FFXIV can navigate that space better than World of Warcraft, which lost players in later expansions who felt it became too easy to play. If FFXIV can continue to work that space well, as it has with Shadowbringers, it will also provide a blueprint for other titles - perhaps Destiny 2, or maybe even Fortnite - to use in order to improve the onboarding experience for titles that have many years of content and changes behind them.
FFXIV Isn’t Going Away Anytime Soon
After the success of Shadowbringers, it’s pretty clear that FFXIV is going to be the MMORPG of choice for Final Fantasy fans and Square Enix for quite some time. That’s going to be an important measuring stick for how these games hold up during another major shift in gaming with the advent of next-gen consoles on the horizon. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X both appear to be more like a PC than any of their past iterations before, at least in terms of power (and the Xbox’s design), and that will be an important and potentially divisive spec. With next-gen graphics and power as part of the competition but with a port on PlayStation 4 - and one coming to Xbox One soon - Final Fantasy XIV will have to prove that content quality matters more than a shiny new sheen and the ability to do some powerful things. Ports to new consoles will also be challenging if they’re happening at all, given the graphics divide that will inevitably be present.
With that said, FFXIV’s health over the early years in 2020 and beyond will also help illustrate how long a game can stay on top the way that Final Fantasy XIV has with its player growth and expansion release schedule. Is player growth sustainable into the next decade of gaming? If there’s a drop off, how severe will it be, and will it be enough to cause developers to shy away from MMOs altogether? FFXIV has, alongside competitors like WoW and ESO, proven that MMORPGs are still viable. How long that remains true will likely be dictated by Square Enix, at least among the old guard, and it will be fascinating to watch unfold.
Next: Don’t Expect A New Final Fantasy MMO Soon
FFXIV Shadowbringers is available now on PC and PlayStation 4.
