It’s an annual tradition for Final Fantasy XIV fans to get a New Year’s address from director and producer Naoki Yoshida, and sure enough one was released that was full of thanks for 2021 and a look forward to the game’s new steps forward as Endwalker closes out over ten years’ worth of plot.
Highlights in the address include another reminder that the latest expansion isn’t the end of the MMORPG’s lifespan by any stretch, as well as another cryptic poem that talks about looking to the days ahead. On that subject, Patch 6.1 will begin the new leg of the game’s narrative, while the letter promises that plans for FFXIV’s future will be shared before then. The letter also apologizes for the game’s login queue issues once more, and takes a humble victory lap for its length of operation and the culmination of storytelling that Endwalker represents.
“FFXIV has surpassed ten years of operation─a goal that all MMORPGs should aspire towards─and now we set our sights on ten more. […] Endwalker is the culmination of everything we’ve built up over eleven years, and I’m well aware that it will be extremely difficult to surpass. But just like your adventures and the efforts of the Development and Operations teams, we’ll continue to build on our wealth of tales, experiences, and emotions, and endeavor to reach new heights!”
