Final Fantasy 14 Mobile is Launching from the Start, but Not the Starting Point You’d Expect

Earlier this week, after months of speculation, Square Enix finally unveiled that a mobile version of Final Fantasy 14 is on the horizon, developed by the Tencent-owned Lightspeed Studios, famous for its work on PUBG Mobile. While the announcement brought some details to light, such as the initial jobs available and its early release in China before a global rollout, many players were left wondering about one crucial aspect: where will this mobile journey begin? Given the MMO’s five expansions, newcomers certainly can’t jump in at the end. Fortunately, producer Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida, in a Q&A video released recently, cleared up this pressing question.

When the mobile version eventually goes live, it will kick off with A Realm Reborn. “Players who already have a history with Final Fantasy 14 can relive the story on their mobile devices,” Yoshi-P explained. He added that newcomers will get the chance to dive into the full narrative from the start. The producer also mentioned that a substantial amount of content is already in place and that Lightspeed Studios plans to “roll out this content gradually and at a regular pace. We’ll consider player feedback for adjusting the release schedule, which might mean speeding things up or keeping the initial rhythm if that suits players best.”

Now, it’s important to highlight that A Realm Reborn isn’t technically the original starting point, thanks to the notorious 1.0 release. While that version is now unplayable, it did contain narrative elements that tie into the main storyline. Some fans have expressed hopes for a World of Warcraft Classic-style re-release to revisit 1.0, and this mobile version seemed like a perfect chance for it. Sadly, for those looking to relive 1.0, old YouTube clips might be your only option for now.

For those intrigued by the mobile adaptation, the full Q&A video is certainly worth a watch. It even touches on how monetization will work, which seems promising given it will be a free-to-play game. However, how this all pans out is something we’re yet to see.