For a limited time only, Final Fantasy 14 players can jump into the MMORPG’s second generous expansion for no additional charge.
Video game success stories don’t get any more impressive than Final Fantasy 14. What started out as a loathed and lacklustre MMORPG upon its initial launch in 2010 underwent a major rejig three years later under the A Realm Reborn moniker. Fast forward to today, and it’s one of the most popular role-playing experiences around available to play on both PlayStation and PC – and now one of its best expansions is completely free to existing owners for a brief time.
“Whether you’re excited to explore new lands, try out the samurai or red mage jobs, or fight for the liberation of Ala Mhigo there is something for everyone,” said Square Enix in a post on its website. It went on to confirm that Stormblood will be free to claim for Final Fantasy 14 owners during the period between now and Monday, May 8. That means players have a generous window of just over a month to take advantage of the offer.
Initially released as far back as 2017, Stormblood continues on the story from Final Fantasy 14’s first expansion, Heavensward, introducing new locales and jobs amidst the continuing storyline of the main quest. It can be downloaded for free for new and existing owners of the Online Starter Edition of Final Fantasy 14.
Final Fantasy 14 Stormblood expansion – how to claim:
- Log into Final Fantasy 14’s Mog Station using your Square Enix account
- Select the service account where you have the Online Starter Pack registered
- Choose the “Additional Expansions” option and redeem Stormblood
- Launch Final Fantasy 14 and Stormblood will automatically start downloading
Stormblood going free for a brief period comes at an exciting time during Final Fantasy 14’s lifecycle, with game director Naoki Yoshida recently outlining on the game’s official YouTube Channel all the exciting changes coming in Patch 6.4. Headlining the new content will be the new Aetherfont dungeon, which will be joined by fresh side stories, new trials and updated ocean fishing.
Neverending fantasy
Cards on the table, I’ve never once dipped my toe into Final Fantasy 14. That’s despite the constant praise it receives, because I know that once I’ve given it a try I’d likely find it hard to ever get out again. There’s only so much time in the day. That said, if you’re someone like me who’s been on the fence and are looking for the perfect reason to give this beloved MMMORPG a try, what better temptation is there than one of its supposedly best expansions going free?
The best part is that, while there is a time limit on how long Stormblood will be claimable for, once you’ve added it to your Square Enix account it’s there ready and waiting. I say this because How Long to Beat charts the base Final Fantasy 14 campaign as having an estimated completion time of 112 hours – and that’s just for the main story. Therefore, it’ll likely take you a while before you come anywhere close to playing through the Stormblood content.
Despite the name I don’t think the Final Fantasy 14 behemoth will ever end. The franchise is seemingly riding higher than its ever been, because this year also sees the release of Final Fantasy 16 release as a PS5 console exclusive on June 22, 2023. As such, one thing is for certain: there’s plenty of Final Fantasy available for players to try out – now its even easier with the meaty Stormblood expansion being temporarily free for players.
