Exclusive: Naoki Yoshida Reveals Lots More Final Fantasy XIV Mobile Details, Confirms It Will Start With A Realm Reborn

Yesterday’s announcement that Final Fantasy XIV is coming to mobile thanks to Lightspeed Studios raised plenty of questions among fans, including which content it will feature and how it will incorporate monetization. Now, Final Fantasy XIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida has answered at least some of these questions in a new video released exclusively to IGN.

“While we were keen on the idea of a mobile version, we had doubts about adapting some core aspects such as monetization and core gameplay to be more accessible to mobile users. Therefore, we provided challenging feedback to the Final Fantasy XIV Mobile dev team,” Yoshida explains.

Yoshida goes on to reveal that Final Fantasy XIV Mobile will indeed start with A Realm Reborn — the original campaign that helped reboot Square Enix’s struggling MMORPG back in 2013. The rest of the content will then be “released gradually based on player feedback.”

“Of course, Final Fantasy XIV and FFXIV Mobile will be developed and operated independently, with FFXIV naturally being ahead in its release schedule,” Yoshida says. “However, we see FFXIV Mobile as a sister title and we are thoroughly involved in its supervision. We will continue to provide guidance and feedback as the project moves forward, hoping that both versions will grow hand-in-hand.”

The upshot is the Final Fantasy XIV will be relatively similar to the PC and console version, though Yoshida does not say whether it will unify accounts or progression. In addition to “faithfully recreating the story for mobile users,” it will incorporate elements like the Gold Saucer, Triple Triad, and crafting and gathering.

As for the battle system, Yoshida doesn’t offer many specifics on how it is being adapted to mobile, but does allude to its virtual joystick and how the actions are being tuned for touchscreen play. “In particular, when it comes to the battle system, which involves player parties, we had to adjust each duty and its mechanics to ensure players would have a satisfying experience. Our battle and content designers as well as myself personally played through early builds and provided feedback on how to create a multiplayer experience that would be enjoyable to mobile users.”

Ultimately, the biggest difference between Final Fantasy XIV Mobile and the original release on PC console is that the former version will be fully free-to-play. However, that doesn’t mean it will include “gacha” play or other exploitive mechanics. Instead, Yoshida says it will be geared toward encouraging “long-term engagement.”

“Our goal is to ensure that players can enjoy Final Fantasy XIV for a long time while generating a small and sustainable revenue allowing as many people as possible to play the game. So, there’s no need to worry too much — just dive in and enjoy the game,” Yoshida says.

Yoshida says that team will aim to gather feedback and begin conducting tests, including monetization in various regions globally. It will launch first in mainland China and gradually expand to a global release. In the meantime, Final Fantasy XIV continues to move head on PC and console, with the Dawntrail expansion having come out earlier this year, and it sounds like there’s still plenty more to come.

“For us, there’s no finish line,” Yoshida says. “As long as I’m still around and haven’t retired I will continue to give my all to Final Fantasy XIV.”

Kat Bailey is IGN’s News Director as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.