FFXIV Mobile's Open Beta in China just released yesterday, and players are discovering what the monetization has in store for them... literally and figuratively!
If you haven't heard already, Final Fantasy XIV's Mobile game is currently available for open beta testing on their Chinese servers. We have previously covered how to play and what features the game offers, but what about their plans for monetization? Has it held up to what the developers said, and what the community wants to see?
Over at the r/FFXIV_Mobile community on Reddit, a lot of players have already dipped their toes, excited to revive their love for the Final Fantasy XIV universe. If it’s been a while, watching a new player go through A Realm Reborn might hit you right in the nostalgia.

Thanks to Reddit user RablaAndrews, they have summarized all of the things you can pay for in FFXIV Mobile. The game is currently free to play, but any game development takes time and money. For example, FFXIV on consoles and the PC requires you to pay a monthly subscription. So what are the ways you can support the game financially?
In-Game Currency & the Shop

Well, for starters, you can obtain exclusive in-game items using "Top-Up Points," which are purchasable with Chinese yuan. The approximate conversion rate is 1 Yuan for 0.14 USD, but keep in mind the current conversion rate changes and the Global version of the game may not reflect the same prices. These look just like the Crysta you can purchase from the Mog Station!

Everything in the "Mog Station" shop is purchasable using these Top-Up Points. This includes discounted costume sets we've seen from the actual FFXIV Online Store, mounts, minions, and even consumables such as the infamous Fantasia!

Surprisingly, even regular armor — the kind you'd normally grab off the marketboard for under 1,000 Gil — has been monetized. Have you seen how cute the penguin mount is?!

Monthly Subscription
FFXIV Mobile also offers a "daily check-in" subscription service that you can purchase for 30 days at a time. The game is free-to-play, but this is an optional premium service. It provides Top-Up Points each daily reset, and also seems to offer unique buffs and discounts, such as:
EXP Boost and Booster Consumables Less Marketboard Tax More Marketboard Slots Faster Mount Speed This is very similar to the "monthly card" system you can see in a lot of gacha games, such as Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero. However, it is a little more player-friendly, as you can apparently "store them for up to 15 days if you [forget to login]". The current FFXIV subscription model does not account for daily gameplay, though this is slightly different for other regional versions of FFXIV.

Battle Pass System
FFXIV Mobile also offers a battle pass system, where players can do daily activities for battle pass points, and receive valuable rewards when the battle pass levels up. They originally didn't have a free tier in place, but it was added for the Open Beta after receiving player feedback. The battle pass provides up to 60 free levels of rewards, and an additional 80 (and some more) if you purchase for the paid tier instead.

Some of the free rewards this current battle pass offers include:
If you purchase for the paid tier instead, you'll get the free items along with some paid-exclusive things that appear to be purchasable from the shop too. Check out the full list here, translated by Reddit user RablaAndrews.
That’s everything noted so far from the Open Beta. What did you think of the different ways FFXIV Mobile has monetized their game? Do you think we will see something similar in the Global version of the game when it releases? If you want to show your appreciation, be sure to check out the full post on Reddit! Or even better, try FFXIV Mobile yourself!

If you have played Final Fantasy XIV since Dawntrail's release, you may have heard about PlayerScope, a third-party tool. Recently they got a cease and desist letter!
Let's discuss what this means for the plugin's development, distribution of data, and what players should expect moving forward. As a reminder, Square Enix does not encourage any use of third-party tools. You can consult the official Prohibited Activities FAQ for more information.
What is PlayerScope and How Does It Work?
In summary, PlayerScope is a third-party plugin that records data from thousands of players without their explicit permission. This data can include anything regarding your character data to even learning about your User ID (which ties all of your characters together). Previously, Square Enix had officially confirmed third-party plugins cannot access your account, such as address and payment details, unless you give away your security information.
How does collecting this data work? According to what the community knows, players using this third-party plugin can automatically collect information from other players nearby. It’s like walking up to a stranger and they instantly know everything about you. Weird, but more importantly, scary: it only takes one nefarious player to ruin someone's day.

And opting out wasn’t easy either—you had to dig into their Discord and hand over your info just to be removed. Talk about unnecessary hoops! Square Enix has previously implemented a solution by changing how the information was being collected, but there is no official confirmation yet on its success, nor any hints we will get one. You can review the Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXXV where this topic was addressed below:

PlayerScope Stops All Development

Well thankfully, the PlayerScope third-party plugin announced on Discord they will be ceasing all activities due to a "formal cease and desist notice." Shared by the community on Reddit, the activities include "all stored data, including character and user records have been permanently and irreversibly deleted." This supposedly covers files from the public server and the developer's personal server.
What does this mean for the general playerbase? Thankfully, there is one less person who will advocate for sharing your data without permission. However, this does not stop future plugin developers, or those who have previously saved your data, from trying again. Unfortunately, the best we can do is to try and prevent it whenever we see it.
Are third-party tools prohibited in Final Fantasy XIV? It really depends. For example, we can say using a VPN or communicating over an external voice program are third-party tools. But neither of those really impacts how others enjoy the game. It definitely toes the line with the Terms of Service, but as far as we know, no one in any community has any positive feedback about PlayerScope.
Square Enix has been putting in the effort to prevent harassment and privacy breaches as much as possible, so we should be helping them. You can provide player feedback through their official channels. If you can't stop it from happening, at least spread the word so others can stay vigilant too.

What is it like to play Final Fantasy XIV away from the comfort of your home? What if it was free-to-play? Well, now you can! FFXIV Mobile officially launched its Open Beta in China today!
The Global version was first announced back in November 2024, as part of a collaboration between Square Enix and the FFXIV Mobile Developer Team at Lightspeed Studios. This developer is well-known for developing games like Apex Legends Mobile and PUBG Mobile, so we are also hopeful FFXIV Mobile will live up to its "older sibling."

Currently, players can experience the Open Beta for FFXIV Mobile in Chinese only. If you want to play, you can sign up at the official Chinese website here, hosted by Tencent. There are app download links for Android and iOS devices, but you will need either a WeChat or QQ Account to register.
According to their official news as well, it is recommended you have the following storage space available for installation:
Android Devices: 145MB for the Installation Package, and 12GB for Resource Updates iOS Devices: 3.98GB for the Installation Package, and 9GB for Resource Updates If you had a previous version of the Mobile game, it is recommended you reinstall entirely. To play, they recommend using a device that is Android Version 10.0 or higher, or iOS Version 13.0 or higher. I wonder if my own phone can play this game, then I can play FFXIV on two devices at once!
As far as the community knows right now, there is no controller support available yet. Be sure to submit any feedback to the Developers, it may be implemented when the Global release happens!
If you are having difficulties finding the game on your App Store, try searching with its Chinese name! There's also a growing English-based community over on Reddit, so feel free to browse their feed for more information.

FFXIV Mobile is also free-to-play, which means you get to experience all of the content without any harm to your wallet! The game features the Main Story from A Realm Reborn, as well as several duties and events for you and your friends to enjoy. For the real-life "Moneybags", they also offer microtransactions through their Battle Pass feature and glamour cosmetics.
Right now, they are running an event from June 19th to July 9th, 2025 (UTC+8) that's focused on... Penguins? How did they get into Eorzea?! Play the game to find out, and maybe you can even return them home!
They have also made several changes to their monetization since the last Closed Beta test, which have been summarized and translated to English by LishiDeYinhe (历史的银河) on YouTube. Most of these changes are intended to keep the player-base happy for a long time. Hopefully we will see something similar (or improved!) whenever the Global Version of the game releases!

There is no information on the Global release just yet, so keep your eyes out! Maybe they'll announce something at the Live Letter on Friday...

The Official Release for FFXIV Mobile in China is currently set for August 2025. Maybe the Global version will release soon after? It's only a few months away, so get to playing FFXIV Mobile today!

Final Fantasy XIV just finished its longest maintenances yet on June 17th at 12:13 AM (PDT). The maintenance team certainly worked on a bucket list of fixes, so let's review a few of them!
No more confusing checkmarks in Cosmic Exploration! For Silver Star and Gold Star missions, you will only get a checkmark if you have completed the requirements. In Occult Crescent: South Horn, when Phantom Job Thief used Vigilance, the "Foreseen Offense" status was sometimes missing. Oops! It's been fixed now, thankfully. A number of awkward bugs have also been addressed, like the very Persistent Pot NPC in Occult Crescent: South Horn, or incorrect NPC movement in the Mamool Ja quests. And last but not least, the Japanese Data Center also got an infrastructure update. Patch 7.3 is around the corner, so it definitely helps to fix issues sooner rather than later!

Speaking of the upcoming patch, did you know there's a Live Letter scheduled on Friday, June 20th at 4:00 AM (PDT)? The Letter from the Producer LIVE Part LXXXVII will address the player feedback on both Cosmic Exploration and the Occult Crescent. As well, we will also get a sneak peek of what will be releasing in Patch 7.3!
Many end-game raiders are expecting news of another Ultimate Raid this expansion, but we might also see the next installment in the Echoes of Vana'diel Alliance Raid series too. The Live Letter will be hosted officially on the following streaming services:
YouTube Live Niconico Live Twitch Just as a reminder, the presentation slides will be in both Japanese and English text, but the stream audio will be in Japanese only. Thank you for your understanding!

Cactuar claims World First in FFXIV’s Cosmic Exploration. Find out why this Lunar Project win matters and who might catch up next.

To all of our hard-working Disciples of the Hand and Land, an incredible feat just occurred on the cosmic terrain this past weekend: the first world that completed the Lunar Development Initiative Project is none other than Cactuar!
North America's Cactuar world on Aether completed Stage 20, a World First on June 14th, 2025 at 12:19 PM EST. Currently, no other World has yet achieved the same level of progress. Japan's Tonberry may be the next one to finish, but perhaps another Aether world, Faerie, will surpass them. Only time will tell!

The new Lifestyle Content Cosmic Exploration released in Patch 7.21. Here, both beginners and veterans can contribute to the exploration of the uncharted cosmos. This is a great way to pick up gathering and crafting for the first time in Final Fantasy XIV.
If you want to learn more, check out our Cosmic Exploration Guide! It covers everything from how to play, any exclusive rewards, and even how to become the next Star Contributor!
Better get back to work: those mechs will not pilot themselves, after all! With your collaborative efforts, maybe you too can get an achievement worthy enough for the stars to remember!