This time it’s for real instead of a mistakenly early announcement: The Xbox X|S open beta test for Final Fantasy XIV has locked down a start date of Wednesday, February 21st, along with information on how players of the console can get into the test.
Joining in on the open beta is a matter of ensuring multiplayer gaming permissions are open, downloading the FFXIV free trial version from the Microsoft Store, and firing up the game when testing kicks off at 3:00 a.m. EST. As for when the open beta will wrap up, that will be announced at a later time and “after thorough reviews.”
It’s important to note that this open beta will be available to new FFXIV players only, meaning those who already have an account for the MMORPG or played a free trial previously are excluded, though those fans will obviously be able to hop into the game on the console when it makes its full release.
Incidentally, this means that the restrictions on the free trial that have been meme’d to death by the community will apply for the Xbox open beta, meaning the full game through the Stormblood expansion will be accessible, with no restrictions on playtime but some restrictions on features. If you’re an Xbox fan looking to hop into the world of Eorzea, you have some instructions to follow and only a couple of weeks to wait.
