FFXI Players May Return for Cheaper Subscriptions or a Classic Version

Unless you are still an active player of Final Fantasy XI, you might not be aware of the numerous additions this nearly 23-year-old MMORPG has had in 2024. Notably, the introduction of FFXIV was an impressive landmark that brought immense joy to me personally, especially seeing Jeuno in a contemporary graphics engine.

Regarding FFXI itself, the game witnessed the addition of new servers, enhancement of previously launched gamepad improvements, introduction of new Master Trial content, and a level 9 version of Besieged. It might not sound like much, however, for an MMO that is no longer technically under development, any improvements are a positive sign.

In a message from the team commemorating the New Year, the Producer/Director Yoji Fujito not only reviewed the year, but also looked forward to 2025. Here’s where things get a tad intriguing (though predictable for those who play or cover both Final Fantasy MMORPGs).

The future prospects include more options for solo-friendly content, ongoing graphic enhancements, better auto-grouping, and simplification of the process to upgrade late-game equipment, thereby making it easier for newcomers or returning players.

And the source of these suggestions? Well, it’s from a survey SE dispatched in November. With nearly 14,000 respondents, some fascinating survey outcomes were shared, segmented into Japanese respondents and Global respondents. Approximately half of these respondents are active players.

Some statistics fall under the “interesting information” category. For instance, the majority of Japanese respondents fell between 40 and 50 years of age, while globally most respondents were in their 30s to 40s. It may be expected for an older MMO, but it’s still noteworthy. Other fascinating stats include about 70% of participants logging in at least twice or thrice weekly, and over 95% of participants reported gaming sessions exceeding 1 hour.

Speaking of “solo gameplay,” although FFXI has made significant strides in this domain over the years (primarily out of necessity), more efforts must be made as over half the respondents reported playing solo, and only a few percent reported playing with random players (i.e., not solo or with dedicated groups). Yes, most are playing with friends already, and finding a group might be challenging if you’re not.

The team should feel proud that most respondents are “Satisfied” or above about the content and login campaign.

My most liked section of the survey happens to unveil something that any player of the game (active or prior) or anyone tracking the game already knows. When asking specifically to former players about what would make them return to the game, the top response among Japanese players was a change in their personal life, whereas global players mostly asked for lower monthly charges or a bundled FFXIV subscription. The “other” section on this particular question led the team to personally review individual comments where a majority called for a “Classic” version of FFXI, referring to a version from when the game’s level cap was 75 and, ironically given the solo conversation earlier, a party was virtually necessary for advancement.

Neither of these findings surprise me, but it’s intriguing to see the team finally acknowledging them, especially the subscription aspect. While no specific actions resulting from the survey have been mentioned yet, the team does laud this survey for being the most detailed version of their previous player surveys. They go on to say, “By disclosing this data upfront, we hope to use these results to help guide our future development efforts for the game in a way that can hopefully satisfy as many players as possible.”

Now, given that SE entirely recognizes the above points and intends to use this feedback to steer their efforts…could 2025 witness any progress in these aspects? Let’s hope so!