Summary
Final Fantasy 14 Onlineis coming to mobile devices but won’t be solely developed by Square Enix, a well-known leaker has said. The purported mobile version of the game would increase the number ofFinal Fantasy 14platforms to seven or eight.
Following the commercial and critical failure of the original 2010 game, Square Enix relaunchedFinal Fantasy 14for the PS3 and PC in 2013. The MMORPG then made its way to the PS4 and macOS in 2014 and 2015, respectively. A next-gen,PS5 version ofFinal Fantasy 14debuted in 2021, followed by an Xbox Series X/S port that launched in March 2024.
FF14 Mobile Reportedly In Development at Tencent
Yet another iteration of the MMORPG is now said to be in the works, this time targeting mobile devices. That’s according to Kurakasis, a long-time gaming industry leaker who reported as much in a recentposton the eXputer forums. Kurakasis also claimed that the mobile version ofFinal Fantasy 14is being jointly developed by Square Enix andChinese gaming giant Tencent, citing sources familiar with the matter.
Apart from being the second-largest game publisher in the world by revenue, Tencent also boasts a large family of mobile-first developers, including the widely successful TiMi Studio Group that’s known for hits such asArena of Valor,Call of Duty: Mobile, andPokemon Unite, among many others. Partnering with Tencent hence seems like a relatively safe mobile bet for Square Enix, although the company technically already did so back in September 2018, when it announced a “strategic alliance” with the Chinese conglomerate that has yet to yield any actual games. One of those titles was meant to be a(nother)NieRmobile spin-off that’s said to have been canceledin late 2023, according to a February 2024 report from Reuters.
Final Fantasy 14 Could Be Challenging To Translate to Touchscreen Devices
How exactlyFinal Fantasy 14could work on mobile devices remains to be seen. While simplifying graphics in the vein of whatFinal Fantasy 15: Pocket Editiondid would ostensibly be a somewhat straightforward affair, the MMORPG has a fairly complex control scheme that could be challenging to translate to touchscreens. Physical controller support might alleviate that issue, but cannot be the main method of doing so, because expecting mobile gamers to primarily use physical controllers would alienate a huge pool of potential customers.
While the newly surfaced report doesn’t elaborate on the purported project’s platform targets, Tencent’s track record indicates that ifFinal Fantasy 14is indeed coming to smartphones and tablets, it will most likely be made for both Android and iOS devices. This also isn’t the only AAA game that the Chinese company is currently said to be bringing to portable platforms, with one recent report suggesting thatTencent is also working on a mobile version ofElden Ring.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
