After 13 years of development, Final Fantasy XI finally received its final major story update today with the November Version Update. Producer Akhiko Matsui took the occasion to say a few words to the community, emphasizing that this update is not a death knell but a celebration of the game’s long life and active playerbase. The servers will remain on, and minor updates will continue through and beyond April 2016. It’s just that the active story is saying farewell.
Matsui went on to state that the game’s staff will be planning a campaign to welcome back former players who have yet to experience the story and reward those who have been playing all along. He offers his thanks to the community that has kept the game running and rewarding for such a long time. It’s a send-off, yes, but it’s one in a positive spirit.
