Final Fantasy XI is now 20 years old. The game was first released on May 16, 2002 in Japan, and was released in North America the following year. The Square Enix team has counted down and reflected on the history of this game and the community that has supported it for the past 20 years. Producer Akihiko Matsui has written a new letter in which he explains where Vana’diel is from and where he is going.
Reflecting on Final Fantasy XI and the community that has continued to make the game a place to spend time has always been front and center in the run up to this important anniversary. The We Are Vana’diel site, which hosted a number of talks, development videos and behind-the-scenes sessions, offered a continuous dive into the history of this online world, from inception to today. Matsui points out in the birthday letter that:
The “We” in “We Are Vana’diel,” says Matsui, “also includes the many people who have worked on FINAL FANTASY XI in the past and have since moved on to other businesses, whether it’s the development staff, QA team members, support staff, or any other myriad of people who have worked to bring the game to you over the past two decades. The infrastructure they helped create sustains the game to this day, and it’s impossible to overstate the effect their efforts have had on the workings of Vana’diel as we know it today.”
“We Are Vana’diel” is also the title of a new piece of the login screen that recently went live with the May Update.
As for what’s to come, the Ravenous Resurgence storyline is about halfway done, with appearances already made by all the major characters. There will be new combat content, with the new primary weapons finally arriving. Empyrean weapon reforestation will also be added in two updates, one in summer and one in winter. Odyssey will also get an increase in the Vengeance cap and the maximum master level will be increased.
To mark the anniversary, there’s also a Return Home campaign that will allow former Final Fantasy XI subscribers to return to play during the campaign for free. The campaign is ongoing and will end on Tuesday, May 31 at 1 a.m. PT. If it’s been a while since you’ve played the game, there are also plenty of events and campaigns to help players progress and get the most out of their experience.
To learn more, visit FFXI.