Summary
- Final Fantasy 14 devs ponder more player-NPC interactions after receiving frequent requests at recent Q&A session.
- Dawntrail expansion launch faced Xbox Series X/S performance issues, with compensation offered to players as devs work on fixes.
- Yoshida teases possibility of closer player-NPC relationships in the future but no concrete plans revealed yet.
Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida said during a Q&A session that he and the developers are thinking about ways that player characters can become closer to their favorite NPCs. According to a translation, Yoshida said that the question about more player and NPC interactions in Final Fantasy 14 gets asked frequently, and posed a scenario that came to mind.
Final Fantasy 14 is coming off the launch of its fifth expansion, Dawntrail. Featuring the game's first major graphical update, two new Jobs, and more challenging dungeons than in previous expansions, Dawntrail is billed as the start of a new chapter for Square Enix's critically acclaimed MMORPG. Although Dawntrail had a relatively smooth launch compared to Endwalker, the expansion suffered from performance issues on the Xbox Series X/S. These problems prompted Square Enix to compensate players with game time as an apology while the developers worked to iron out any remaining bugs.
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As players familiarize themselves with the new characters of Dawntrail, a recent Q&A session with Yoshida prompted players to ask for a feature that had been requested before. During the 2024 Japan Expo in Paris, Yoshida was asked a question by an attendee named Suncosplays, who asked if their character would be able to be more than friends with NPCs. As translated by Aitaikimochi, Yoshida said that, while the developers have to abide by the main story, he pondered whether the fan-favorite character Estinien could suddenly appear on some random planet, and jokingly mused about what could happen. Suncosplays responded that they would settle for a "long-distance relationship" in that case, while Yoshida expressed his appreciation that players have grown fond of the main cast of Final Fantasy 14 and said that more player and NPC interactions could happen in the future.
Yoshida Responds to Final Fantasy 14 Cosplayer's Request
Although Yoshida did not offer further details beyond what was asked, what actions Square Enix will take to satisfy this request remains to be seen. While games such as Baldur's Gate 3, Stardew Valley, and the Dragon Age franchise are known for the amount of player and NPC romance options available, Final Fantasy 14 instead allows two players to take part in the Ceremony of Eternal Bonding. The ceremony is an in-game wedding experience replete with rewards for all in attendance, but requires the wedding party to make reservations with Square Enix days in advance.
While Final Fantasy 14 constantly updates the game with Job adjustments and raid content, sometimes highly-requested features can be added after careful consideration. Only time will tell if additional player and NPC interactions will be added during Dawntrail' s post-launch cycle.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
- Released
- August 27, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
Create your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.
Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward
Take your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.
Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Stormblood
Journey to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.
Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers
Travel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.
Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker
A great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope's last bastion.
Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail
Blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope's light dawns once more.
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Animated Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Crystal Tools
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- MMORPG
- Metascore
- 90
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4 & PS5
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
