Final Fantasy XIV is getting an official relaunch later this year. Square Enix has released a CGI trailer for the relaunch, and announced a new name to herald a new start for the game: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
Final Fantasy XIV was a bit of a mess when it launched, garnering almost universal derision from critics, and disappointment from fans. This led Square Enix to publicly apologize for the game’s state, indefinitely extend the free trial period, and promise to update the game into something worthy of the Final Fantasy brand name.
An official relaunch of the game is due late 2012/early 2013 to coincide with the long-awaited PS3 release of the title. Almost two years after its initial release, Square Enix is putting the land of Eorzea to the torch and starting again.
Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida referred to A Realm Reborn as “the latest title in the Final Fantasy series.” The MMO will be rebuilt from the ground up, with a new land to explore, as well as an all new story.
Clearly Square Enix is desperate to make things up to those who were disappointed with Final Fantasy XIV. An overhaul of this magnitude is quite a commitment. Will the company have truly learned from its mistakes though?
Meanwhile, Square Enix’s 11-year-old Final Fantasy XI is getting its fifth retail expansion, titled “Seekers of Adoulin,” due in 2013.
