Final Fantasy 14 will require two subscriptions on Xbox

The popular MMO game Final Fantasy 14 is finally heading to Xbox Series X/S consoles, but there’s a major caveat. The full release will require an Xbox Game Pass Core or Ultimate subscription, according to publisher Square Enix. This will be in addition to the monthly fee to actually play the game.

Let’s break down the cost. A 30-day subscription to the game will set you back $15, while 90 days costs $42 and 180 days comes out to $78. Xbox Game Pass Core costs $10 per month or $60 for a year. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate costs $17 per month. So Xbox players will have to shell out a minimum of $18 each month and a maximum of $32 per month to travel the magical world of Eorzea. The download itself is free, for whatever that's worth.

This is slightly unusual for a couple of reasons. Back in April of 2021, Microsoft removed subscription requirements for free-to-play multiplayer games. Final Fantasy 14, however, is not quite free-to-play, though it’s free-to-download. Also, PlayStation players have long been able to adventure through the game without having to purchase a PlayStation Plus Subscription. To Sony, the game falls into the free-to-play category, but not for Microsoft.

It’s worth noting that the subscription requirement has been lifted for beta players. The open beta test for the Xbox Series X|S version of Final Fantasy 14 starts on February 21 at 12AM PT.

The full game will be released when the beta finishes up, but there’s no concrete information yet. It should be available by the time this summer’s Dawntrail expansion hits. The open beta’s reserved for new players, so you won’t be able to participate if you’ve already had access to a free trial or a license registered to your Square Enix account.

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