Open Beta for Final Fantasy XIV Postponed
The open beta for the PC version of Final Fantasy XIV was slated to begin today, however Square Enix has put it on hold.
Earlier Tuesday Square Enix announced that the open beta for its upcoming MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV would begin later in the evening at 10pm EST. The news stemmed from a Twitter post that read: "The FINAL FANTASY XIV Open Beta Test begins on Wednesday, September 1, 2010 at 2:00 (GMT)! We hope to see everyone participate!"
However apparently plans have changed. According to the company, the open beta test has been postponed due to "a confirmation of critical bugs." A new schedule for the open beta will be released at a later date. Additionally, the issuing of registration codes for the open beta will also be postponed. Client downloads are suspended until a later date.
Final Fantasy XIV for the PC is slated for a worldwide release on September 30, 2010. A Collector's Edition is also planned, scheduled to hit retail shelves a week prior to the Standard release. The PlayStation 3 won't see the sci-fi/fantasy MMORPG until sometime in March 2011.
The game takes place on the content of Eorzea with additional areas available to explore in Hydaelyn. Unlike Final Fantasy XI--which used experience points and level progression--Final Fantasy XIV will utilize a skill-based progression system similar to Final Fantasy II. There will also be less emphasis on group play, and weapon use will apparently alter character development.
Current players of the closed beta will be able to transfer their characters over to the open beta. The latest patch to the Final Fantasy XIV client supposedly weighs around 1.2 GB. Stay tuned to Square Enix for more updates on the open beta status.
Get Tom's Hardware's best news and in-depth reviews, straight to your inbox.
Kevin Parrish has over a decade of experience as a writer, editor, and product tester. His work focused on computer hardware, networking equipment, smartphones, tablets, gaming consoles, and other internet-connected devices. His work has appeared in Tom's Hardware, Tom's Guide, Maximum PC, Digital Trends, Android Authority, How-To Geek, Lifewire, and others.
-
COLGeek Looks like scaling up the beta from closed to open status showed a few chinks in the armor. Not surprising given the complexities of these developments. Good luck!Reply -
lun4tic What can you expect from a beta? The issue is probably a recent screw up on their end. I hope they iron out the process of putting up high load servers before the 22nd.Reply -
Trialsking Nooo, how am I going to get my crazy hair and ridiculously large sword welding fix now!?!?!?!?Reply -
NotYetRated NNOOOOOO I had an evening of bug catching planned :( Love Square games. Have not tried their earlier foray into MMORPG But this game simply looks far too beautiful to pass up. Hopefully they iron out the wrinkles quick! Though.... this game is just going to be a time-passer for me until KOTOR makes its way into my life. Better get some sun while I still can...Reply -
maestintaolius Just so long as it isn't another 'fight rabbits for 60 levels' game again. My biggest grievance with the original game was at level 5, I was fighting rabbits, and at level 55, I was fighting rabbits (and they were the same color and had the exact same abilities, just the level 55 one hit harder).Reply -
coleipoo FFXIV is shaping up nicely...it's actually a good thing they are getting rid of bugs like this and postponing the beta release. Imagine the nerd rage if people could play the open beta but it turned out to be completely unplayable for a few days.Reply
This is what developers need to be doing, so they don't release a sloppy product. It's the essence of a beta.