Xbox Issues An Apology Following Misleading Final Fantasy 14 Beta Post

Microsoft's gaming brand, Xbox, caused mass confusion and chaos this week following a recent editorial post regarding the upcoming Open Beta for Final Fantasy 14 Online. The MMORPG will launch for Xbox consoles in Spring 2024, with its Open Beta going live in the coming weeks, but only after making an error in judgment claiming that the Open Beta went live on 16th January 2024.

This news was first published via Xbox Wire before it caught massive attention on Twitter before recognizing the error and subsequently deleted its post on Xbox Wire before it was covered by Windows Central. The post incorrectly reported that the Open Beta was live on Xbox consoles before responding to its tweet, citing the error as it will provide a "follow-up" at a later date.

According to reporting by various outlets, including IGN and Eurogamer, the news of the Open Beta was live on Xbox Wire for a long enough time to cause some confusion amongst players across online and social media platforms. Xbox Wire posted an apology to clear up confusion on Twitter, citing that the news was incorrect and the official Open Beta date will be confirmed once it's available.

Final Fantasy 14 Online's long-awaited Xbox release was announced during a Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in June 2023. The MMORPG will reportedly support 4K graphics for Xbox Series S and X upon its release, and all Beta progress will transfer over to the game's full console release later this year.

The Open Beta will also have all the content included in Final Fantasy 14 Online's Free Trial, which features all the gameplay leading up to the Stormblood expansion pack. This recent confusion of the game's Open Beta comes as Final Fantasy 14 Online's Patch 6.55 Part 2 has just been released, which concludes the Endwalker chapter and includes new quests granting players unique rewards as the next expansion, Dawntrail, is scheduled for a Summer 2024 release window.