Hot on the heels of Final Fantasy XIV finally coming to Xbox consoles, Square Enix has gone a step further in promising better Xbox support overall.
During Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2023 in Las Vegas, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer crashed the party and appeared on stage with the game’s producer and director Naoki Yoshida.
The two were later joined by new Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu, who promised better Xbox support moving forward – starting with the long-awaited port of Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox consoles.
“What I really appreciate about you (Yoshida-san) and your team is you put the player at the center of everything that you do,” Spencer said. “It couldn’t be more clear than watching your presentation today. At Xbox, we share a very similar spirit when it comes to our players. And we’re really inspired by how you have made Final Fantasy XIV with all of you a global success, and we want to bring the Xbox community and your Warriors of Light together in a way that is safe, secure, and engaging–and above all, fun. And we also see this as a seminal moment in our relationship with you (Square Enix) and the Final Fantasy team as we look to partner more closely together in the future.”
Spencer added, “The entire Xbox team is excited to see how our newest Warriors of Light will use the full capabilities of Xbox Series X and Series S to help save Eorzea. And I’m excited to partner with you, Yoshida-san, and your studios as you bring this incredible franchise to global platforms to enable more players to connect and experience the joy of gaming together.”
Yoshida then joked saying “well since our CEO is here, why not just bring him out too?” and then beckoned for Kiryu to join him and Spencer on stage.
“First off, I have to thank you, Phil-san, for working with us to make the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV a reality,” Kiryu said. “This is a project that wouldn’t have been possible without his (Spencer) support.”
Kiryu added, “I think I can speak for myself, Yoshi-P, all of our Warriors of Light here watching the livestream when I say how excited I am to see Xbox support added, and for us to welcome countless new friends to the world of Final Fantasy XIV. Final Fantasy XIV is only going to get bigger and better, so all the Xbox gamers out there, I urge you to give Final Fantasy XIV a try.
“And one more thing, as CEO of Square Enix, we want to continue to deliver fabulous games to fans across the world, and of course we want to welcome the Xbox community as well, and starting with today’s announcement of Final Fantasy XIV coming in spring 2024, and whenever possible, we are planning to bring our games to Xbox for players around the world to enjoy. We’re really looking forward to working closely with Phil and the Xbox team to make this possible.”
Spencer then added, “Thank you, Kiryu-san. We deeply respect the rich legacy of Square Enix, and we look forward to building on the relationship that we’ve established in bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox, and partnering closely with you and the Square Enix team on future games.”
Yoshida had the last thing to add, “I am extremely thankful and we are committed to working with Xbox going forward.”
After the livestream, Phil Spencer also tweeted out “Enjoyed being onstage with Yoshi-P and Kiryu-san to announce Final Fantasy XIV coming to Xbox. We’re thrilled that the Xbox community will join the Warriors of Light and we look forward to partnering closely with Square Enix on future games.”
The game’s latest expansion – Dawntrail – was also announced, with a release set for Summer 2024. The full version of the game, including its new 7.0 expansion, Dawntrail, will be playable on Xbox.
