Developer Square Enix has made the Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition available for download at no cost all.The announcement came via social media and revealed that players will be able to download the game for free from the Playstation Store until May 26. After downloading, gamers will be able to keep the game, even after the giveaway has ended. Along with Final Fantasy XIV itself, those who download the game will also receive a 30-day free play period. The game does not come with the expansions, "Heavensward," "Stormblood," and "Shadowbringers."
The game revolves around the realm of Eorzea and adventurers, inducted into the Scions of the Seventh Dawn in order to uncover their forgotten pasts. The three expansion packs for Final Fantasy XIV each raised the level cap, with the final expansion, "Shadowbringers," bringing the level cap to 80, where the original game offered a level cap of 50.
After a poorly received original release in 2010, Final Fantasy XIV was essentially reconstructed by Naoki Yoshida and a new team. It was then released for PS3 in 2013, then later for PS4 and Xbox One in 2014. It received generally positive reviews, praising the gameplay and video game director Yoshida's work. While the 2013 game saw approximately half a million subscribers, by 2019, the Square Enix reported roughly 18 million players.
(via Eurogamer)