Clarification on what you get when buying FF14 on the SE Store

[Xerkrosis]

Buying "an expansion" unlocks all the expansions below it. So buying "Endwalker" is actually buying Stormblood + Shadowbringers + Endwalker. (And Heavensward as well, if it wasn't already added to the base game.)

But you only unlock SB, ShB and EW once you get the key for EW. Until EW releases, you only get EW-preorder-key, which doesn't have the expansions.

[Iscah]

But you only unlock SB, ShB and EW once you get the key for EW. Until EW releases, you only get EW-preorder-key, which doesn't have the expansions.

Yes, but the question was whether you'd be still missing the middle expansions if you just bought the base game and Endwalker. And the answer to that specific question is no.

[linayar]

I really don't understand why the starter edition even exists when we have such a good free trial. Just free trial + expansion should be more than enough SKUs in a sensible world.

Starter edition removes the free trial restrictions, as good as the free trial is.

I suppose you could say that people should just buy the Complete edition once they want to commit beyond the free trial, but if they're near an expansion launch and want to be out of the free trial, but don't need to do post-Starter edition content yet, it's probably cheaper to buy the Starter edition and then wait for the new expansion to buy the rest.

[Phaty]

But you only unlock SB, ShB and EW once you get the key for EW. Until EW releases, you only get EW-preorder-key, which doesn't have the expansions.

You can bypass the release date and request the key and pre-order bonuses immediately. You forfeit any refund doing that tho

[Phaty]

Starter edition removes the free trial restrictions, as good as the free trial is.

I suppose you could say that people should just buy the Complete edition once they want to commit beyond the free trial, but if they're near an expansion launch and want to be out of the free trial, but don't need to do post-Starter edition content yet, it's probably cheaper to buy the Starter edition and then wait for the new expansion to buy the rest.

Starter edition can also be used for recruit mounts and bonuses

[Jeeqbit]

You can bypass the release date and request the key and pre-order bonuses immediately. You forfeit any refund doing that tho

Oh, really? Because if that is true I would want to pass on this information to new players so they can send in these requests.

[Ronduwil]

This is one area where Blizzard excels. They always just have two basic offerings: the the latest expansion, and everything up to it. Also, you can download it to whatever supported device you're playing from. There's none of this nonsense with having to buy a copy per platform or having to purchase previous expansions.