A little over a week ago, Final Fantasy developer and publisher Square Enix released the highly anticipated Patch 7.3 update for Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV).
The patch — titled "The Promise of Tomorrow" — is one of the largest 2025 releases for the game, and served to close out the story of the 2024 expansion Dawntrail while introducing new features and several pieces of fresh content to enjoy.
With Dawntrail largely now complete (two more patches that lead into the next expansion are coming, mind you), now is arguably one of the best times to jump into the globally popular MMORPG and catch up before the next DLC if you're a new player. And in apparent recognition of that fact, Square Enix has kicked off a colossal sale for all of FFXIV's editions that knocks their prices down by 40%.
"We are pleased to share that the FFXIV Starter Edition, Dawntrail, and Complete Edition—including Collector's Editions—are 40% off for a limited time! Whether setting sail for new adventures in Tural or taking your first steps into Eorzea, you won't want to miss this opportunity," reads the developer's announcement of the sale.
The discounts are available on both Steam and the Square Enix Store for the PC version, as well as on the PlayStation Store for those who would prefer playing on PS5 or PS4.
Sadly, there are no discounts for the Xbox Series X|S edition, so users of Microsoft's consoles are missing out. Across all platforms, the sale is scheduled to run until August 27.
These are some of the steepest markdowns I've ever seen for FFXIV, with the 50% off deal that I took advantage of to get into the game in 2023 being the only one better.
While they're around, you can get the $19.99 Starter Edition for $11.99, the $59.99 Complete Edition for just $35.99, and the $139.99 Complete Collector's Edition for only $83.99. Existing players can also pick up Dawntrail standalone for $23.99; it's usually $39.99.
The Starter Edition gives you access to the base A Realm Reborn experience and the first two expansions, Heavensward and Stormblood, along with 30 days of game time (FFXIV's monthly subscription cost you'll have to pay after is $14.99/month).
Note that the game's generous free trial features these, too, though you'll have certain restrictions like limited chat options, no trading, and no Free Companies (guilds).
The Complete Edition, meanwhile, adds on Shadowbringers, Endwalker, and Dawntrail, with the Complete Collector's Edition also including all the bonus Collector's Edition unlocks from every expansion. All in all, I'd say the Complete Edition is the best deal here if you're new to the game, and it's what I recommend.
Truthfully, I've never been much of an MMO player — being a veteran Destiny 2 player is about as close as I've gotten to that title, over the years — but I still ended up falling in love with FFXIV despite that. One reason why is that compared to many games in the genre, it has a distinct lack of fear of missing out (FOMO) pressure, and doesn't punish you for taking breaks.
Another is that its main story quest (MSQ) is genuinely terrific — for the most part, anyway. The base game story is a bit weak, but starting with Heavensward, it comes into its own and grows into something truly special, with Shadowbringers and Endwalker in particular standing out as narrative masterpieces. Sadly, Dawntrail is a definite step down from that peak, but it's not terrible.
Beyond the MSQ, there's also a wealth of both casual and hardcore content to engage with, including everything from seasonal events and minigames to optional dungeons, raiding, and an in-game economy fueled by crafting jobs. There's player housing to engage with, too, as well as a strong roleplay scene.
The biggest draws to FFXIV for me are its MSQ and its roleplaying community, largely because I'm always craving a good fantasy story and enjoy writing creatively with friends. But even though I don't engage much with hardcore content, I definitely enjoy doing more casual dungeons and "Trial" bosses as well. The game's rotation-based combat flows incredibly well and is fun to learn.
All in all, FFXIV has rapidly become one of my favorite games to play in the last two years, and it's one I almost always log into daily, at this point.
It's not without problems — the MSQ hasn't been great lately, the lottery system in place for player housing is frustrating, and there's been a heightened amount of maintenance downtime recently, to name some — but it's still one of the best PC games, and a must-play in my book.
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