Final Fantasy XIV coming to Xbox Series X|S will begin a new relationship between Square Enix and Microsoft’s console.
During the Japanese developer’s showcase for its hit MMO last week, CEO Takashi Kiryu stated that “whenever possible, we are planning to bring our games to Xbox for players around the world to enjoy.”
The game’s producer Naoki Yoshida echoed that sentiment, saying Square Enix is “committed to working with Xbox going forward.”
An Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV has been demanded for years, so it’s only fitting that it leads to future Square Enix games coming to the console. It’s one of the developer’s biggest games and one of a handful of games in the franchise to never release on the platform.
What does this Square Enix deal mean for Microsoft?
While there are Xbox versions recent Square Enix games like last year’s The Diofield Chronicles, many big titles have yet to release on Microsoft’s console.
Octopath Traveler II and Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion are just two of many games that released only on PC and current consoles like the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch. Either a game comes on Xbox the same day as other systems, it gets ported a year later, or doesn’t come period.
A lack of Xbox versions is even more noticeable for the likes of Final Fantasy VII Remake, its sequel Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and Final Fantasy XVI. All three games have launched as PlayStation exclusives, and only PC versions for each of them have been released or discussed.
Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer, who attended last week’s event, added that his company “[looks] forward to building on the relationship that we’ve established in bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox, and partnering closely with you and the Square Enix team on future games.”
“We also see this as a seminal moment in our relationship with [Square Enix] and the team as we look to partner more closely together in the future.”
To date, it appears Xbox hasn’t received a Square Enix game to tout as a console exclusive like Sony or Nintendo has. Whether that’s in the cards, or this new relationship just means Xbox versions of titles like Octopath Traveler II and Forspoken, remains to be seen.