The rise in the popularity of multiplayer games has dramatically influenced the MMORPG genre. There are a ton of free-to-play games out there, but Final Fantasy 14 isn’t one of them. To play the MMO in its complete form, you have to not only buy the game but also pay a subscription fee every month.
Thankfully, Final Fantasy 14 offers a free trial version of the game that allows you to play the most current version of the popular MMO without having to purchase the software or commit to any kind of ongoing subscription. It’s an excellent way to start the game, but this trial does have some major restrictions that could cause frustration. For those looking to enter the world of Final Fantasy 14 for the first time, we’ve created a complete guide for everything you can and cannot do in the free trial.
Updated February 23, 2022, by Adam Arter: Final Fantasy 14’s free trial has recently returned after a brief hiatus to prevent server congestion after the launch of the latest expansion, Endwalker. The free trial version returned on February 22, 2022, allowing new players to experience the entirety of the base game A Realm Reborn and the first expansion, Heavensward, for free.
At the time of writing, the free trial version offers an excellent way into the game for new players, but is still subject to minor restrictions to certain game functions, which we’ve explained below.
How To Get The Final Fantasy 14 Free Trial
To get the free trial on PC, all you need to do is head to the free trial website and then associate the free trial with a new or existing Square Enix account. After you’re signed up, you’ll be able to download the game’s installer, which will download and install all available game files. After the installation is complete, you’ll be able to log in, select a server and begin playing.
On PS4 or PS5, the process is similar, but you can download the free trial version by finding the ‘try free demo’ button on the game’s PSN store page. You’ll still need to create a Square Enix account for the free trial.
What Are The Differences Between The Final Fantasy 14 Free Trial And The Full Game?
If you activate an account for the free trial of Final Fantasy 14, you’ll be able to play the entire initial main scenario quest up to the end of the Heavensward expansion at no cost.
You’ll experience the game world the same as other players, but some features associated with the expansions or certain social mechanics will be unavailable to you. Here’s a quick comparison of the differences between the free and full versions of the game.
Why You Should Try The Final Fantasy 14 Free Trial
If you’re looking for an introduction to Final Fantasy 14 to see if you like the game, the free trial is a good way to test it out.
If you intend to play Final Fantasy 14 from the beginning without skipping any story content, you can easily do a couple of hundred hours (or more) of this in the free trial. You’ll be able to experience the story of the A Realm Reborn base game in addition to the first expansion, Heavensward.
In addition, you can take most of the optional content associated with these two games including dungeons, raids, crafting, and even developing a unique fashion for your character.
If you’re finding yourself enjoying the game during the trial, you can upgrade to a starter edition, which includes the same story content as the free trial (A Realm Reborn and Heavensward), but without any of the restrictions of the free trial. You can also upgrade to the complete version at a higher price point, which includes the other expansions Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker.
Because Square Enix has eased restrictions on various features in the free trial before, such as level cap and purchasing items with real currency in the MogStation, players can retain hope that the developer will also ease some of these social restrictions on the game eventually.
Final Fantasy 14 has exploded in popularity over the past year, so much so that they were forced to halt sales in addition to cancelling the free trial. Now that congestion has eased up a bit, the free trial is back and more accessible than ever before. For this reason, it could only be a matter of time before Square Enix allows free trial players even more freedom in defending the world of Eorzea.
NEXT: Final Fantasy 14: How To Change Your Grand Company
