Final Fantasy XIV prepares for open beta as Sept. 30 release nears
Final Fantasy XIV enters its final stages of testing, shifting from a limited closed beta to a public open beta, with just a month to go before its Sept. 30 worldwide launch.
Square Enix announced via Twitter that its current closed beta ends on Aug. 25 and will be followed by an open beta in “early September.” It’s a clean slate of sorts since characters made in closed beta will be deleted presumably to make way for new open beta toons.
The open beta is one of the busiest–and most critical–phases leading up to an MMO launch due to the sheer volume of players logging into the servers. Unlike the closed beta where Square Enix could limit the participants through a predetermined number of beta keys, the open beta will be accessible to anyone with the appropriate gaming rig.
Thousands are expected to start rolling Lalafells and Elezens to get a sneak peek of FFXIV, which has been touted as a more laid-back successor to Final Fantasy XI. Casual gamers can solo quests at their pace via the Guildleve system or join larger groups seamlessly through wise use of the class-changing Armoury system.
The biggest question though with the open beta testing is if the proposed solutions to existing snags–like the sluggishness of combat sequences–will work. If not, there’s a risk of disappointing fans, including Collector’s Edition owners who preordered the game just to get an eight-day head start.