Final Fantasy XIV Mobile development officially revealed

The critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is coming to mobile devices! In a recent announcement, Naoki Yoshida, the producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, revealed the development of Final Fantasy XIV Mobile. Alongside the announcement, a teaser trailer was shown and an official website was launched.

In the announcement video, Yoshida shared that Lightspeed Studios is developing the project. He states that they are “working with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication to faithfully recreate the story, duties, battle content and other aspects of the original game.” The video then transitions to a teaser trailer. The trailer, while short, features familiar characters, locations and a snippet of a battle against Titan.

So, what content will Final Fantasy XIV Mobile have to offer? Well, so far we know that at launch there will be nine jobs to play. Based on the official reveal art and the trailer, we can assume the nine jobs are simply the nine starter jobs in Final Fantasy XIV (warrior, paladin, white mage, scholar, monk, dragoon, summoner, black mage and bard).

In addition to these battle jobs, all 11 crafting and gathering classes will be available. The story will also be available to play through, although how much of the game’s huge story you’ll be able to access is unclear. Fans of more casual content will have plenty to enjoy, including fishing, Triple Triad and Chocobo Racing. The teaser trailer showcased even more activities, such as Gold Saucer mini-games, the Fashion Report and The Slice is Right. However, to my immense disappointment, I can’t see Doman Mahjong anywhere.

The reveal of Final Fantasy XIV Mobile does raise questions about how other elements of the original game will be adapted to a mobile-friendly format, if adapted at all. After all, Yoshida described this mobile game as a “sister to FFXIV,” not a direct replica. No information has been shared on whether duty roulettes, player-versus-player content or high-end content will be included. Even the vagueness surrounding the adaptation of the battle system raises uncertainties. While the official site mentions “controls optimized for mobile devices,” we have not been provided any further details or demonstrations. Regardless of what they decide to cut, streamlining eleven years of content into something mobile-friendly will be no easy task. Hopefully, the game delivers an experience that captures the essence of the original, with the necessary adjustments for mobile play.

For those excited for Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, unfortunately, no release date has been specified. We do know that it will launch first in China, and that the global launch will come “soon after.” Regardless, even with so many details up in the air about the adaptation, Final Fantasy XIV Mobile is set to be a project that many, many fans will be watching closely.