Final Fantasy XIV Free-To-Play Ends This Week

By Matthew Bennett, Associate Editor
Posted on January 3, 2012 AT 08:24am

THE BUZZ: Final Fantasy XIV Online will be returning to a subscription based model this week, after a year of being free-to-play.

On January 6, a subscription will be required to play the MMO and all non-subscribing accounts will be suspended. The game has been free-to-play since an unsuccessful launch in 2010. Users will be charged a discounted $9.99 a month for a subscription until the upcoming 2.0 patch, which is scheduled to be released this year, after which the price will increase to $12.99.

EGM’s TAKE: It’s a weird move on Square-Enix’s part to charge for a game that they know isn’t a completed product. This won’t going to go down well with fans.

Is it right to charge before version 2.0? Leave your comments below.

Matthew Bennett has only been covering the gaming world for a short while, but he’s eager to make his mark. An ability to go many hours without sleep and a quick wit make him ideal for his role as associate editor at EGMNOW.com. He often thinks back to the days when the very idea of this career seemed like nothing but an impossible dream. Follow him on Twitter @mattyjb89. Meet the rest of the crew.

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