Final Fantasy XI 20th Anniversary Celebration Commences May 16th

Vana'diel celebrates 20 years of adventure with a huge live stream! As players join to celebrate Final Fantasy XI's 20th Anniversary.

It all began with a stone…

Those are the word's that started many adventures back in 2002. And a year later in the west with Final Fantasy XI's first expansion pack, Rise of the Zilart. It was Square Enix's first venture into the realm of online games. Born from Hironobu Sakaguchi fascination with MMORPG such as EverQuest, it was an attempt to bring the Final Fantasy brand online. XI's release solidified the blueprint of the Japanese MMORPG and was one of the earliest examples of a console being used for online games. So its impact on gaming is nothing to scoff at.

Now, almost 20 years after its initial release. Final Fantasy XI does still receive minor updates to this day. With new quests, and challenges for players to overcome. Even if its main scenario wrapped up with the release of the Rhapsodies of Vana'diel scenario in 2015.

Cause for Celebration

With the anniversary coming up next month, Final Fantasy XI will receive yet another update. Among some adjustments and fixes, there'll be a new line of quest's dubbed The Voracious Resurgence. With it comes new rewards and new hunts to go after. On top of that, Square Enix will host a special live stream on the 8th of May. Celebrating its 20-year run, and will probably also see a look into what the future of Final Fantasy XI will look like. A link to the stream can be found below.

Is Final Fantasy XI still worth getting into?

Absolutely. We've seen the resurgence of titles like World of Warcraft Classic over the past years, and there is certainly a desire to return to this type of old-school MMORPG. While Final Fantasy XI's combat and general pace are a lot slower than its spiritual successor, Final Fantasy XIV. There is a magic to it that no game has recaptured since. Its charm harkens back to the early days of the franchise. The deliberate, deep combat system allows every player to craft their own character. And a world that begs to be explored. It is no doubt a game of a past age, with no quest markers that show you where to go or what to do next. This turns every quest you discover into an adventure in and of itself.

On top of that is a dedicated community, that has been the beating heart of Final Fantasy XI since its launch. And while player numbers have dwindled since the game's height in 2009, there is still no shortage of players to experience Vana'diel with. For its 20th anniversary, Square Enix is offering a special discount for new players starting on May 13.

Players who haven't visited Vana'diel in a long time, are also invited to come back and celebrate. The Return Home to Vana'diel Campaign offers players with pre-existing accounts the chance to check out new content and connect with old friends for free. From May 13 till May 31. All the details can be found here.