Final Fantasy 14 launched on the Series X|S earlier this year, on March 21. Square Enix recently announced it would be aggressively pushing for multiplatform releases as opposed to PlayStation exclusives, where more players can enjoy its major releases.
Despite the Japanese company’s desire to release its games elsewhere, it’s not looking so hot. After over two months on the Microsoft console, Square Enix’s MMORPG is not performing well on the platform. Could its plan for multiplatform releases be doomed from the start?
Is Final Fantasy 14 Dead on Xbox?
The long-standing MMORPG has been around since 2013 on the PS3 and PC. Over the years, the game has been ported to other platforms, such as PS4, PS5, and Mac. The release on Xbox is the game’s newest version and sales have been lacking.
Across the entire Xbox marketplace for Best Selling games, Final Fantasy 14 Complete Edition does not even come into the Top 400 games. Filtering through only Series X|S games, the game still stands past the Top 400 ranking.
This version of the game also comes with all four of the major expansions; Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker. For Xbox players to get a complete version of the game with hundreds of hours of content, why is it under performing?
Furthermore, the game is currently on sale for $23.99, about a 60% discount from the standard price of $59.99. If a steep discount can’t break Final Fantasy into the Top 100 of the marketplace, then Square Enix might be in trouble.
Can Square Enix Push Multiplatform Aggressively?
Although the company’s biggest MMORPG is flopping on Microsoft’s console, let’s remember that the game has been active for over a decade now. If fans wanted to play it, they would have done so years ago on PC or on PlayStation.
Releasing the game on the Series X|S is a fine idea to allow players to try the game out. However, with MMORPGs, especially ones that have been going on for many years, it’s difficult to pull in new players.
It’s a daunting task to get players into the genre, even more so if they’ve never played an MMORPG. Microsoft’s console audience also aren’t the biggest fans of Japanese published games.
From the Best Selling games, the Top 10 includes multiple Call of Duty games, Grand Theft Auto, Minecraft, and NBA 2K24. Suffice it to say, it might not be Square Enix’s fault.
Its aggressive push for multiplatform releases is not a failure just yet. With every recent Final Fantasy game released as a console exclusive for PlayStation, it’s unfair to judge it right now based on a decade old MMORPG.
Let’s wait for the next mainline game that drops simultaneously on every platform. Then, we can see how well the franchise can stand on the Microsoft platform.
What do you think of the Square Enix franchise on a different platform? Let us know in the comments what you think!
