Although Final Fantasy XIV’s time on the PlayStation 4 might soon be coming to an end, the critically acclaimed MMO RPG will soon show up on a new console: the Nintendo Switch 2. But while the prospect of grinding through raids and dungeons from the comfort of your own bed is certainly enticing, it turns out that this port comes with a strange caveat.
Shortly after Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu announced Final Fantasy XIV would be coming to Switch 2 during the game’s North American Fan Festival, Kiryu launched into an explanation of how subscriptions will work on the console. Whereas PC, Xbox, and PlayStation will all work with a standard Final Fantasy XIV subscription, the Nintendo Switch 2 requires players have a distinct subscription for just that console. Thankfully, players will not need a Switch Online subscription to play–though Kiryu did add that Final Fantasy XIV subscribers can get one for 50% less. Additionally, those with an active PC, Xbox, and PlayStation subscription will get 50% off a Switch 2 subscription.
“After discussions with Nintendo, it was decided that the Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy XIV would require a separate subscription,” Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida added. “This was decided after many months of discussions with Nintendo and we understand this is different to how we’ve done things before.”
Long story short, those planning on playing Final Fantasy XIV across Switch 2 and another platform will have to maintain two subscriptions to do so. Though this might not be a problem for those playing solely on Switch 2, it’s a bizarre issue that doesn’t exist between any of the other console versions.
Though an official release date has yet to be revealed, Final Fantasy XIV is slated to release on Switch 2 this August. The game’s next expansion, Evercold, is set to release in January 2027. The expansion features two new classes and several massive changes, including an entirely new battle system.