The Final Fantasy XIV Xbox open beta finally has a date, and Square Enix and Microsoft have some odd requirements for participation.
The open beta is set to begin on Wednesday, February 21st, beginning around midnight PST. Now, here’s where it gets a little odd. You can only participate in the open beta on Xbox Series X|S if you are a new player. In order to participate in the trial, you will have to link your Square Enix account with your Xbox account. If you already have a copy of Final Fantasy XIV on a different platform, whether that's the free trial or a full license, you will not be able to participate in the open beta.
The team is asking that all existing players wait for the full Xbox launch.
There is good news on that, because the full Xbox launch, open to all, is set to happen immediately once the open beta ends. There’s no date for this just yet since they want to gather enough data from the test, but expect an announcement at a later time. While you will not need an Xbox Game Pass subscription to play in the open beta, you will need one for the full launch.
If you’re completely new to Final Fantasy XIV though, and you are on Xbox, you will be able to adjust your settings and download the Free Trial version and begin your adventures on the 21st. When the team announces the full launch date, they will also have an opportunity to transfer your data from the open beta version to the full launch.
Read more about the initial details here over at Final Fantasy XIV.
