Are you holding out on buying Final Fantasy 14 in the hope that it’ll be free one day? Well, consider that dream squashed for now, as a Final Fantasy 14 free-to-play version is not going to happen at the moment, says game director Naoki Yoshida.

Speaking with Eurogamer, he made it abundantly clear that they are committed to the subscription model, but they will still keep the free trial to encourage more people to try out the MMO.

I believe the free trial will continue to be expanded, but we have no plans of making the client itself free at the moment. Since a huge amount of time and money has been invested in the expansion packages, the revenue from sales of the expansion package itself is still very important in order to continue to make expansions on this scale. We would like to constantly aim for the best on the business side as well to continue making a lot of content to be enjoyed.

Final Fantasy 14 is regarded as one of the best MMOs to date, so it comes as no surprise that some people would want the game to become free-to-play. However, as Mr. Yoshida explained, huge amount of cost is invested to make the game as good as it is.

The commitment to subscription model ensures steady revenue stream for Square Enix, and also allows them to maintain high standards that players have come to expect from the franchise.

As long as the game continues to evolve with new expansions and adventures that mirror the quality of the previous expansions, the fans will not have a problem paying for the monthly subscription.

Final Fantasy 14 free-to-play is a fever dream for now, but you never know, it may become a reality someday.

Final Fantasy 14 is currently available on PS4, PS5, and PC. An Xbox Series X|S version of the title is in development and will launch sometime in spring 2024.

Source: Eurogamer