Final Fantasy XI Online celebrates 22 years with new updates
Square Enix have revealed that Final Fantasy XI Online, the first MMO from the house of Final Fantasy, is getting new updates in celebration of the games 22nd anniversary. The game first launched 22 years ago on May 16, 2002.
Before we get to the updates, the games Director and Producer Yoji Fujito released a letter to players, you can read it below.
Good day, adventurers!
Fujito here. I'm the producer/director for FINAL FANTASY XI.
Thanks to all of you, FFXI welcomed its 22nd anniversary on May 16, 2024.
I would like to take this opportunity to convey the gratitude of everyone here for your help in making Vana'diel the wonderful place that it is. Thank you so much!
It has now been one year since we switched over to the new development structure for the game in Spring 2023. Although we have pared down the team size and cut back on the amount of new content offered, we have also made various systematic improvements and additions to the game that we had previously been unable to address, all with an emphasis on showing our appreciation for your support and expressing a love of all things FFXI. Outside of the game, we recently held a special exhibition, Treasures of Vana'diel, in both Tokyo and Osaka, and also had a dramatic reading event set in the world of FINAL FANTASY XI. I would also like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to all of the staff members who have supported the development and operations of FFXI, as well as their families.
As we celebrate 22 years of service, we plan to continue making adjustments and holding various promotions in support of the game.
These efforts include the topics we covered in the May 10th episode of Freshly Picked Vana'diel.
- Adapting Besieged for higher levels
- The ability to change your character's race
We are planning to implement these changes going forward.
In addition to the above, we also plan to make other adjustments based on the feedback we have received via the forums and from other venues. Even small improvements over time can combine to make the game much easier to control and more enjoyable. Therefore, we will do our best to make the most of such improvements, both large and small, while also making sure the game continues to run smoothly.
In other news, we'll be starting Round 2 of Vana'Bout from today, giving you another chance to work together with players from all of the game's Worlds! Starting with this round, we've prepared a dedicated Vana'Bout menu that is separate from the usual daily Records of Eminence objectives. We have also updated the objectives so that the range of content is as diverse as possible. Completing the objectives this time will result in a special bonus campaign for Odyssey, and also the opportunity to summon Cornelia's alter ego, so I hope everyone is able to achieve the objectives.
Whether you picture it as rolling snake eyes twice, or doubling up 11 to get 22, there are a variety of ways to express the game's 22nd Vana'versary. Thank you again for supporting FINAL FANTASY XI all these years, and we look forward to many more to come!
FINAL FANTASY XI Producer/Director
Yoji Fujito
Now as for new updates, there are a few, including new enemies in the Master Trials and Ambuscades, a limited-time login campaign and more.
New Foes in Master Trials – Take down Chaos and Bahamut to earn special rewards.
Return of Vana'Bout – Combine forces with players from all of the game's Worlds to earn points by completing special Records of Eminence objectives. Once the total number of points earned by players around the world reaches the goal, everyone will receive a reward!
New Foes in Ambuscade – Tonberries and Pteraketos return to Ambuscade.
Login Campaign – The May 2024 Login Campaign runs now through June 10 at 12:00 a.m. Pacific. Receive points and exchange them for various in-game items. All the details for this can be found here.
The full patch notes for the game can be found here, which breaks things down into event related, battle related, system related and more.
There are also special updates to the We Are Vana’Diel site, which is your way to learn all about the game. The game launched on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 alongside the PC release, but the PC release is the only one still available to get.
