Final Fantasy XI Coming to Mobile in 2016

Massively multiplayer online RPGs (MMORPGS) aren’t unusual on mobile platforms. Ports of previously-released MMORPGS, however, are much rarer. That’s why people are taking close notice of a recent media event / press release from Square-Enix announcing the arrival of Final Fantasy XI on mobile.

Developed by Nexon Korea, Final Fantasy XI Mobile will be optimized for iOS and Android. The solo-player experience will be enhanced, battle functionality will be improved, and party organization will be simplified.

Final Fantasy XI Mobile will receive a worldwide release, and  we should see it sometime in 2016.

Otherwise there aren’t a lot of specifics at this point, though it’s worth talking about the unique game world we’ll be visiting soon if Bahamut wills it.

Final Fantasy XI takes place on the world of Vana’diel, a land enriched by magic and teeming with traditional Final Fantasy enemies. Players can play as several races, including humans (“Humes”), the catlike Mithra, the tiny and adorable Tarutaru, and the Elvaan, which are like elves but are totally not elves.

Final Fantasy XI went debuted in on the PlayStation 2 in Japan in 2002, followed by the PC and Xbox 360 (and, beginning in 2003, Western releases). Incidentally, the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 versions of the game will shut down in March 2016. The consoles’ final chapter, Rhapsodies of Vana’diel, will play out in three chapters starting in May. The PC version of the game will keep going, however.

We’ll unveil the intricacies of Final Fantasy XI Mobile as they come in.

Nadia Oxford

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In the early aughts, Nadia fell into writing with the grace of a brain-dead bison stumbling into a chasm. Over the years, she's written for Nerve, GamePro, 1UP.com, USGamer, Pocket Gamer, Just Labs Magazine, and many other sites and magazines of fine repute. She's currently About.com's Guide to the Nintendo 3DS at ds.about.com.