With Final Fantasy XIV making its way to the Xbox Series X|S, new players on Microsoft’s family of consoles have been pleasantly surprised to find the game is also available on Game Pass. However, as is an unfortunate tradition with FFXIV, the different versions and complexities around how and when it’s “right” to stop playing the free trial might trip people up.
That’s because the Game Pass version of FFXIV is the “Starter Edition,” only includes the game, a 30-day subscription, and the first three expansions (A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood). By using Game Pass right off the bat as a Sprout, players will spend more in the long-run because they will be saddled with a monthly subscription fee once that 30-days included with the Starter Edition is up.
Additionally, you’ll still need to shell out for the “Complete Edition” to unlock the latest two expansions - and this won’t include upcoming expansion Dawntrail, which will need to be purchased by all players when it comes out. Confused? Welcome to FFXIV’s completely rational purchasing model.
As a refresher, the free trial of FFXIV allows you to play the game for an unlimited amount of time up to the end of the Stormblood expansion. It has some limitations, but new Xbox players could play FFXIV for as long as they want before activating the Game Pass Starter Edition and triggering the subscription fee after the free month it provides.
FFXIV has always had these wrinkles when purchasing it. From having to enter codes on strange Square Enix websites, to the confusing nature of the Steam version and PC version of FFXIV technically being completely different game licenses - it’s never been a perfect system. With the addition of a new platform, it’s perhaps expected that the new Xbox Series X|S FFXIV players will have to go through some measure of confusion over game versions and expansion ownership. Hopefully, most players will avoid ending their free trial early with this confusing “upgrade.”
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