FFXIV Mobile Needs to Be WoW Classic for Final Fantasy XIV

One of the most surprising announcements from Square Enix recently has been the reveal of FFXIV Mobile. Yes, the actual MMORPG itself is coming to smartphones. Well, at least in China before an eventual worldwide release. Since FFXIV Mobile is just going to be A Realm Reborn at first, it has the chance to be the WoW Classic for Final Fantasy XIV.

To be fair, Square Enix hasn’t described this mobile iteration of the beloved MMORPG as a classic version. In fact, it seems to be likely to get future expansions as time goes on. Instead, it seems to be a way to expand FFXIV to other markets like China. But this is also a prime opportunity to bring back the olden days of Eorzea.

A Realm Reborn is one of the weakest parts of this MMO, without a doubt. I would argue that Stormblood and the launch first 50 levels are the weakest parts of the game in terms of story and characters. However, not everything is horrible. For one, there is the state of some of the older jobs like Summoner. I would argue Square Enix ruined Summoner completely.

Summoner was my first job and I will never go back to it unless it changes back to its old state, which I don’t see happening. Summoner played like you expect it to. Arcanist has a pet Carbuncle that has DPS or tank abilities. You could then later upgrade it into a mini version of primals like Titan, Ifrit, and Garuda as Summoner.

They permanently stayed on the field. You could switch between them as you like, but the goal was to figure out if you wanted a tank, melee DPS, or ranged DPS. Most of the time, Garuda was the best option. However, I have numerous stories from the base experience through Heavensward where I pulled out the tank summon and had it tank for us through a dungeon. This was because the tank was new and didn’t know what to do or because they disconnected.

These special moments still remain some of my favorites from the thousands upon thousands of hours I’ve put into FFXIV. FFXIV Mobile presents the opportunity to revert back to these hilarious but epic times. But it is a major moment for players who missed out on these earlier days, too.

It is no secret FFXIV became massively successful (rightfully so) around the time of Shadowbringers. Players who joined since then missed out on the older world economy, the harshness of leveling, and the sheer challenge of some earlier content. If someone wants a slower and more detailed early MMO experience, this would be the chance to show it off.

I mean, think about housing for a moment. There are entire wards on some older worlds dominated by a single person or Free Company. This is because they got in early, made millions fast, and bought up every house. This second chance would provide everyone an even playing field to earn cash and buy a house fair and square. Plus, it would be with the existing, readily available knowledge of how to make Gil.

FFXIV Mobile has the opportunity to be WoW Classic for Final Fantasy XIV. For old grizzled veterans like myself, it is the chance to relive the “somewhat” good old days. And to play Summoner as it should play. For the newcomers, it is the chance to play a more challenging base experience. And to possibly make some gil and buy a house in a fairer economy. With the conclusion of the original story arc with Endwalker a couple of years behind us, this feels like the perfect time to revisit the original 2013 MMO with FFXIV Mobile.

Final Fantasy XIV is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. FFXIV Mobile is releasing first in China for Android and iOS.