Final Fantasy XIV has exceeded 14 million cumulative players worldwide as it celebrates its fifth anniversary, Square Enix announced. Four million players joined the game in the past year alone.
Here is a message from producer and director Naoki Yoshida on the milestone:
Although the original Final Fantasy XIV failed to meet expectations, through the support of people in the media, the companies we have worked with, and of course our dedicated players, we were able to launch A Realm Reborn in 2013. Final Fantasy XIV was indeed reborn, and over the course of these past five years, it has grown to become the title that we all know and love today. I cannot thank you enough.
We in the development and operations teams have been working at full capacity ever since the launch of A Realm Reborn, and while we have made our share of missteps along the way, the Warriors of Light continue to spur us onward.
There are many new gaming experiences and epic tales that we wish to share with you all. We will be working harder than ever to expand the world of Final Fantasy XIV, where players form lasting bonds with one another through their adventures.
Final Fantasy XIVis the result of everyone’s passion and commitment, including all of you Warriors of Light, and I hope you will continue to support us as we build this world together.
Yoshida will host a 14-hour live stream full of guests reflecting on the past five years of Final Fantasy XIV on August 31 at 8:00 p.m. PT / midnight ET. It will feature appearances from some of the game’s voice actors, developres discussing a variety of topics, and the final results for the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Favorite Music Poll. It will also feature the latest Letter from the Producer LIVE, which will reveal more about the upcoming “Patch 4.4: Prelude in Violet,” and Capcom‘s Ryozo Tsujimoto will join Yoshida to discuss the game’s Monster Hunter: World collaboration.
Fifth anniversary celebrations are currently taking place in the game world with “The Rising” event that is ongoing until September 18. Read more here.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for PlayStation 4, PC, and Mac.