Final Fantasy Celebrates 20th “Vana’Versary”, Akihiko Matsui talks about the past and upcoming plans

Final Fantasy XI is now 20. The game was first released in Japan on May 16, 2002 and in North America the following year. The team at Square Enix has been counting down and reflecting on the history of this game and the community that has remained over the past 20 years. Producer Akihiko Matsui has a new letter where he talks about where they come from and where they are going in Vana’diel.

The reflection on Final Fantasy XI and the community that has continued to make the game a place to dwell have always been emphasized as we head towards this important anniversary. The We Are Vana’diel website, which has hosted a series of talks, developer videos and behind-the-scenes sessions, offers an ongoing in-depth look at the history of this online world from its inception to the present. Matsui emphasizes in the anniversary letter:

“The ‘we’ in We Are Vana’diel, Matsui says, also includes the many people who worked on it FINAL FANTASY XI in the past and have since moved on to other ventures, whether they be development staff, members of the QA team, support staff, or any of the myriad other people who have worked to bring the game to you over the past two decades. The infrastructure they helped build supports the game to this day, and it’s impossible to overestimate the impact of their efforts on the operation of Vana’diel as we know it today.”

“We Are Vana’diel” is also the title of a new login screen track that was recently pushed live with the May update.

what is to come The Insatiable Resurgence The plot is about halfway through and all the major characters have already appeared. There will be new combat content, and the new Prime weapons will finally arrive. Empyrean weapon reforging will also be added in two updates, one in Summer and one in Winter. Odyssey will also have a revenge cap increase and they will continue to increase the max master level as well.

There is also a homecoming promotion to mark the anniversary, which will discourage former subscribers Final Fantasy XI Return to the game for free during the campaign. The campaign is now running and will end Tuesday, May 31 at 1am Pacific Time. If you haven’t played the game in a while, there are also plenty of events and campaigns designed to help players progress and get more out of their experience.

More on that below FFXI.