Final Fantasy XIV director praises Phil Spencer’s efforts to bring the MMORPG to Xbox

Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida has praised Microsoft’s Executive Vice President of Gaming Phil Spencer’s efforts to bring the MMORPG to Xbox.

According to a recent story from TrustedReviews, the team at Square Enix decided to skip an Xbox One release for the MMO because it was not very popular in Japan. The original leadership behind the Xbox console, guided by Don Mattrick, also didn’t seem too interested in porting the title.

“When the Xbox One launched in Japan, there were no TV commercials or advertisements, so I thought they were just giving us a pass this time,” Yoshida said, adding that things have changed now that Spencer is leading Team Xbox.

“Phil Spencer had made such an effort to make this possible, and now it’s cool to see it becoming a reality,” Yoshida said. He further hinted at an upcoming announcement for Final Fantasy XIV on Xbox, whether it’s for Xbox One or the next-gen Xbox Series X. A PS5 version is reportedly in the works already, so the Japanese label could skip One in favor of what’s next later this year.

Talks between Microsoft and Square Enix have been in place for a long time now, but at last November’s X019, it looked like the reveal of an Xbox port was imminent.

“XIV is one I’ve been dedicated to, working with [director] Yoshida-san to find a solution to bring that game to Xbox,” Spencer said at a roundtable with the press last November. “And while it’s not in the news today, I wanted you to know, rest assured, that we will be bringing that game to Xbox.”

One of the reasons Final Fantasy XIV has not been released on Xbox One thus far is the lack of cross-platform support. The idea was a no-go for years until Microsoft completely changed its position on the matter and began allowing cross-platform play, even going as far as to push Sony to follow in its footsteps with the PS4.

Spencer made it clear in his statement that Xbox is now accepting the mandate of having a cross-platform play for Final Fantasy XIV. 

“We have a great relationship with Yoshida-san, and we’re working through what it means to bring a cross-platform MMO that they’ve run for years,” Spencer said.

For now, Square Enix has yet to offer an official announcement for this new version of the game, but there’s a chance that it will come by the time another expansion is revealed. The latest DLC, Shadowbringers, proved a solid addition to the game, and was one of the most appreciated Final Fantasy games in years.