Final Fantasy XIV has proved to be an amazing success story for Square Enix, and CEO Yosuke Matsuda recognized its importance.
In the Japanese publisher’s annual report, Matsuda-san himself wrote that the latest expansion, Endwalker has consecrated the game among the top of the MMO market.
He also mentioned that Square Enix will continue to strive for even higher heights with FF14.
“FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker was received with especially great excitement by fans around the
world who had been waiting for a sequel. The expansion pack not only boosted “FINAL FANTASY XIV” to the status of the world’s top MMO games in every sense of the word, but also made a massive
contribution to our Group’s business.We remain devoted to our engagement with these passionate fans and will continue to strive for even higher heights in our operation of the game.”
Incidentally, the report also reveals that the Final Fantasy series as a whole has sold 173 million units as of March 2022. We just recently learned that FF14 has passed 27 million registered players and is close to 28.
It’s certainly always a pleasure to see the relevance of Square Final Fantasy XIV recognized. I still remember when the game was considered a complete failure in 2010, with players leaving in droves the floundering 1.0 version and very few websites even caring to cover news about it.
Yet, following the arrival of producer and director Naoki Yoshida and a monumental display of determination and hard work that led to the re-release with A Realm Reborn, the developers at Square Enix managed to prove that a second chance for a MMORPG is rare but possible.
I was there, from the launch in September 2010 to Carteneau, and I have certainly many more fond memories than bitter ones.
Final Fantasy XIV is currently available for PlayStation 4, PS5, and PC. You can also read more about the changes planned for the longer term, including a refresh of the graphics.
