The year is 2032...

[StriderShinryu]

I know one thing, the people who complain the game has been on a consistent downward trend since Heavensward will still be playing, and paying, and here complaining that the devs still don't listen to them.

[Kolsykol]

I know one thing, the people who complain the game has been on a consistent downward trend since Heavensward will still be playing, and paying, and here complaining that the devs still don't listen to them.

The funny thing is when you see in the big threads one of the first responses being '' nah, I am enjoying it '' and it has triple the upvotes as well as random memes with double.
But then the whole thread just becomes the same people spam posting and convince themselves when they view their own handiwork that it represents '' the community ''.
Rinse and repeat.

[SturmChurro]

I'd like to see this game continue going forward, but the way I see the direction of this game going, I don't really have high hopes. Hopefully some other, quality, competitors do come out by then, so there are more options in the mmorpg genre. Which can either encourage improvements for this game, or give people a different alternative to play.

[RitsukoSonoda]

Full immersion VR MMO FF game will probably happen around when they series hits XXX >.>

[Wyssahtyn]

by 7.0, all dps roles play exactly the same to go with the fully homogenised tank/healer gameplay. except black mage.

[Vyrerus]

By 2032 they will come out with FFXIX, which will be the next MMORPG from Square Enix. FFXIV players will divide. Those with the most invested in FFXIV will stay behind, while people sick of FFXIV's repetitive nature will move to the new thing in hopes of being blown away. Though most of them will make the move for the higher graphical fidelity.

Not wishing to make the same mistakes as FFXIV 1.0, despite one already being made, the next director for FFXIX will give us something entirely new gameplay wise for an MMO. It will be misrepresented and shat upon by all of the people staying behind.

It will turn away from XIV's theme park trend, being completely original and new story. It will be hit or miss.

[RitsukoSonoda]

By 2032 they will come out with FFXIX, which will be the next MMORPG from Square Enix. FFXIV players will divide. Those with the most invested in FFXIV will stay behind, while people sick of FFXIV's repetitive nature will move to the new thing in hopes of being blown away. Though most of them will make the move for the higher graphical fidelity.

Not wishing to make the same mistakes as FFXIV 1.0, despite one already being made, the next director for FFXIX will give us something entirely new gameplay wise for an MMO. It will be misrepresented and shat upon by all of the people staying behind.

It will turn away from XIV's theme park trend, being completely original and new story. It will be hit or miss.

Hmm... FFXI was the first MMO, then this FFXIV, so I would say the next MMO would be FFXVII which IMO would hopefully have all the mechanical depth at least of FFXI with an updated interface, visuals, and character creator.

[KurohNeko]

What has SE done up to that point keep FFXIV relevant and/or competitive with other MMOs? For those who might be genuinely confused as to where this is going, this is just thoughts I had for fun regarding YoshiP's statement about wanting the game to go on for the next ten years. (Plus I'm at work and bored out of my skull cuz there's almost nothing to do today).

Feel free to speculate on just about anything they might do on any level: the gameplay itself, business operations, finances, art and story direction, features, qols, etc. Here are mine just off the top of my head:

- In 2027, YoshiP implements full VR immersion for certain parts of the game (housing, dungeon explorer mode, spearfishing) but it's initially clunky and it has some bugs. He manages to iron those things out completely in one expansion and a half).

- Speaking of expansions, evidently, new region will be used as springboards for the story.

-FFXIV finally undergoes an engine upgrade in 2030, stating that the release of PS6 is now the right time to do it.

-Single role playing mode is a mixed success as customers ask themselves should they actually pay msrp prices for a single player experience that makes them think they're still playing on the ps3. (The mixed success is one of the things that make them eventually realize ff14 needs the upgrade).

-SE overturns YoshiP and tentatively sell a game pass that allows players to get more of a particular currency (idk, scrips or some shit). It's popular with the new crowd and is horrifically and terribly received by the old crowd.

-SE releases a bunch of anime for ff14. Since Daddy of Light was basically a greenlight to try more media, the first anime is slice of life about some teens enjoying the game while the second is set in universe, minus the WoL. Third one might be an adaptation of the currently existing manga.

- One year after the upgrade, SE moderately succeeds at keeping up with most of the UI tools that players had to download as a 3rd party tool. Moderately because SE takes their sweet, sweet time and 3rd party devs are too far ahead

Considering the entire west is collapsing in less than a decade as the welfare states and governments of the west go completely bankrupt and our currency goes Weimar levels of worthless, we most likely won't make it to 2024 without major economic collapse, civil wars, political power grabs, etc, etc, I don't see this happening.

[Xlantaa]

I would like a FFXIV anime.

[MintnHoney]

I can see it now....
NFTs were announced to be added in 2026; the resulting chaos that ensued brought about a catastrophic holiday for Square Enix, from which they never recovered, and FFXIV's closure would be announced in 2028, with official support coming to an end in January of 2029.
In the year 2032, prospective players are provided a "memorial service event" in Final Fantasy XI, and players are also invited to play FFVIIR: Chapter 4 on their phones, with a new play to earn feature that allows players to playthrough further scenarios in FFVIIR by reaching certain milestones as they grind through the newly introduced VR dungeon.


..Or not. Maybe. Possibly.
Hopefully.