Continuing our fervent commitment to women’s sports, I’m pumped to announce we have created, with our long-time WNBA team partner the Atlanta Dream, a brand new block party-meets-basketball event that only Atlanta can deliver: the first ever, Atlanta Dream HoopFest – Powered by Xbox 3-on-3 outdoor high school basketball tourney, slated for Friday, April 5, 2024, from 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the Atlantic Station Greenspace, to celebrate the city of Atlanta’s 404 Day, an annual celebration of all things unique to Atlanta. For more information, follow the @AtlantaDream on all social channels.
When we began working on this idea last year, it was crucial to both us and the Dream to not only create an event that reflects the amazing global influence of Atlanta, but excites both Xbox and Dream fans. This influenced everything from the date choice down to the design of the brand-new HoopFest logo, which creatively weaves in the Atlanta skyline against a distinctive Xbox Sphere with true basketball vibes.
The free event on April 5, 2024, will not only include high school boys and girls basketball team brackets, but a true block party, including DJ music, food, merch, the Atlanta Dream Hype Team, members of the Atlanta Dream organization, Xbox, Microsoft, and even Overtime there to cover the event. For those lucky teams who win their bracket, each player will win a custom Atlanta Dream HoopFest Xbox Series S console, among other gifts and prizing.
Gaming will very much be part of the party too. All attendees can visit our uniquely designed, The Locker Room, a Microsoft x Xbox space where fans can play a range of great Xbox games, including recent Xbox Game Pass additions like NBA 2K24 and EA Sports Madden NFL 24. It’s also a great chance to learn more about the Power Her Dreams program, where alongside The Atlanta Dream, Microsoft provides STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) programming to empower young women and girls to lead. This activity serves to help the Atlanta Dream expand foundational level access points for young girls and women within sport and learn about technical skills like coding by creating mini-games on Surface devices.
So, if you are up for a good time full of gaming, music, sports and more, come on over to Atlantic Station on Friday, April 5, 2024, 3:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. and catch a block party that only The ATL, the Dream, and Xbox can create together!
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Alpha ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
System Update Details
OS Version: XB_FLT_2404ZN25398.4049.240320-2200
Available: 2 p.m. PT – March 22, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – March 23, 2024
Fixes Included
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Game Card
Fixed an issue where the tooltip would not update as expected when choosing Add to or Remove from Play later.
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
Some users have reported experiencing intermittent audio issues across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Troubleshooting: If you do experience issues, please confirm your TV and all other equipment have the latest firmware installed. If you are unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. You can also find additional troubleshooting tips here: Troubleshoot audio on your Xbox console.
Feedback: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware and troubleshooting further, please submit feedback via Report a Problem when you are experiencing the issue. Use the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Note: Be sure to include as much information as possible about the issue, when it started, your setup, troubleshooting you have completed, and any additional information that will help us reproduce the issue.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to the network immediately on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
Workaround: Wait a minute or two for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide then file feedback with Report a Problem. Learn more about restarting here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
This year at GDC, the ID@Xbox Showcase featured 10 creative titles by developers from all corners of the world.
Sopa (Colombia), The Sinking City 2 (Ukraine), Sonzai (India), and Go-Go Town (Australia) shared what it’s like to develop indie games in their home countries.
GDC is an exciting time on gamers’ calendars, when the collective knowledge of the game industry comes together to share ideas, reveal upcoming projects, and engage with players and creators. It’s also a great time to see what some of the world’s most talented indie game developers are working on.
The ID@Xbox Showcase returned to GDC this week and hosted 10 game creators and their upcoming projects from seven different countries — all of which are in development for Xbox players to enjoy.
Xbox Wire had a chance to talk with game creators behind the upcoming Sopa (Colombia), The Sinking City 2 (Ukraine), Sonzai (India), and Go-Go Town (Australia) to learn more about these games and the people who make them, far from the more established indie game development scenes like Japan and the United States.
What’s the Indie Game Development Scene Like in Your Country?
Studio Bando Creative Director & CEO Juan Castañeda: Colombia is booming and there’s a lot of great and super talented studios. There’s also a Colombian Video Game Association. The studios have some of the most established, talented, and super experienced people that I think people should hear more about because a lot of them have experience of working on a lot of projects.
SOPA
All that accumulative knowledge [is starting] to really crystallize to the point where they can really deliver these awesome projects.
Now in terms of our experience, I think it’s been a little bit different because most of my experience, even though I’m from Colombia, I’ve been working in the US. I moved back to Colombia, and we started connecting with the folks there. And as things started working out, that’s how the team started growing. We started involving more Colombians, so it was all very organic.
Prideful Sloth Creative Director Cheryl Vance: Coming from Australia, it’s amazing. I think we’ve managed to, as a country, build up quite a reputation internationally for being really good with indie development. So, it’s great, it’s flourishing and there’s so many fantastic games coming out of the country.
SONZAI
Sonzai Executive Producer Andy Andi Han: The best way to describe the indie gaming scene [in India] is “isolated.” This creates a situation where a lot of young and upcoming aspiring developers have second thoughts, never have the opportunity, or are simply driven away from the indie scene in the first place… There are more factors in play here, such as the infamous social pressure to go for more standard jobs or simply the fact that we have multiple spoken languages all over India, so finding a group of passionate indie developers is fairly hard.
All that said, I have seen a handful of indie games pop up from India in the last decade. This should pave the way for future projects, indie or otherwise. I do believe India has extremely talented artists whose creative visions are worth investing in. Hopefully, very soon, we will see some of that potential being realized.
Frogwares PR Manager Paul Milewski: The indie gaming scene in Ukraine is maybe not in its infancy, but it’s still taking those first steps. The country is getting to a point now where they are starting to get recognition from around the world. Unfortunately, the situation with the war happened. But one of the, you could say silver linings, is that there’s a lot [more] attention on the country than previously. And so more people are starting to look at what has been going on there.
GO-GO TOWN
They have had a flourishing tech scene for decades now. But it was very, very isolated. They were looking to the West to get ideas and now they’re starting to come up with their own stuff. Now the West is looking at them, seeing what they’re starting to create. So, I think right now, there’s this moment of hope that this attention will amount into something… The more games that break out in Ukraine, the more it inspires the next generations to follow to get into it.
How is This Game a Unique Journey (From Other Projects)?
Juan Castañeda: Sopa is the most passionate project ever in my entire career, probably in my entire life, and I feel that the whole team behind the project feels the same way. And so, we are approaching it differently. Being able to transmit and convey what we set out to do to represent the things that we set out to do. And making sure that that it’s accessible and that we’re able to find that audience to have a fun experience — but also an emotional one. But also, it is just how much we’ve had to fight to get this far. How committed we must be and the sacrifices that we’ve had to make. And that comes back again to just believing in the project.
Cheryl Vance: As a studio, we worked on titles like Batman: Arkham and Devil May Cry, and here we are now making cozy games. So, I’d say that’s pretty much a complete opposite change of what we used to do. We just wanted to focus on something different. All of us were kind of like, “We’ve done combat for a while now; let’s not do combat.” And now here we are, and this is our third game.
THE SINKING CITY 2
It was more just wanting to take games from the farming genre, and I wanted an experience where it was open world and could do more things, and that kind of morphed — with some feedback — into this Zelda-meets-farming thing and it’s constantly about what experiences do we want to make.
Sonzai Project Coder Ritam Ray: I have been into game development since I was 12. It started with modding my favorite games to then tinkering with game engines and making smaller games/demos. So, I have been on the indie game development journey for as long as I can remember. The biggest difference between this, and other tech jobs I had, is creative freedom. Not a very interesting answer but it’s an important distinction regardless.
Sonzai Project Artist Swapnil Karmakar: As for me, I’ve drawn for most of my conscious existence. But both my game development and animation journey started in college with a game we were developing right before Sonzai. It never saw anything near completion but taught me the challenges game development brings. I learned animation entirely through developing Sonzai. So, the biggest difference from other jobs I’ve taken on is that in a long-form project both the quality and style of my work changed, which makes it difficult to keep the entire thing cohesive. In short-form projects, this has never been an issue. But I think we’re working on something that we can be proud of here.
SOPA
Paul Milewski: It was only up until recently that Frogwares decided they were able to go independent, and one of the first games that they released was Sherlock Holmes: The Awakening. The thing is though, that project came out of necessity. That project wasn’t really meant to happen, but then the war broke out and they needed to essentially stop what they were doing and do something that was a lot smaller; they needed to figure out if they could even produce a game under these (war) conditions, right?
Team members would drop in and out in terms of availability. Power cuts happen all the time. Air raids happen. This is essentially the team’s big test to see if everything that they have learned in the previous game can still be applied to this when you’re working on something on a bigger scale. But they’re also going a step further to make [Sinking City 2] more survival horror and keep the investigation feature as optional. So, this is also a very big step to see if they can pull this off and be able to broaden their horizons a bit.
How Does Your Game Represent Your Region?
Juan Castañeda: We tried to represent even the mundane of it as a backdrop. There are so many colorful and new and fresh things that exist in in Latin American culture that I think most people have never seen, even in projects that are set in these places. You see it in a more traditional game and then they’ll take some of the aesthetic. And that’s beautiful and wonderful. And I’m happy to see it when it happened.
GO-GO TOWN
In our case, we wanted to take that a step further and really try and communicate the sensation of being there, including the mundane right? So just hanging out in your grandmother’s house and walking around and looking at the objects that she has in her house and that back and forth. Another thing that that we wanted to bring that we think is pretty refreshing is the concept of magical realism. And that’s something that’s like part of our identity in Colombia specifically.
Andy Andi Han: Sonzai is simply a game that we wanted to make. It takes a few of Ritam’s favorite things in gaming like JRPGs like the Persona series, Final Fantasy 6, and combines them with my Swapnil’s love for stylish character action games like Bayonetta and Metal Gear Rising and fuses them together.
It is truthfully hard to say how much it represents our local game development scene. However, it represents something far more fundamental, in my opinion. As long as you want to create a game and know your limits you can actually jump into indie game development.
SONZAI
More and more players are giving the indie gaming scene the attention it deserves. Hopefully, with Sonzai, we can generate more interest in game development in our local scene. So that in the future, people will be less intimidated to do what we did. Everything starts in the grassroots, and Top Hat Studios took the time to go down to the weeds and believe great things were being done there. With support like that, it’s possible for creative projects like ours to exist, and hopefully many more in the future.
Cheryl Vance: It’s the culmination of both our experiences in the industry as well as the vibrant dev community with our peers providing feedback on our games. It’s also the government funding that’s helped us stay here and continue… Because now we have real tax incentives in our country as well too, which is fantastic. And that’s also allows us to change and do different things than we otherwise would with our money knowing that we have a bit of safety net, to try things differently than we would and that’s been fantastic for us.
Specifically with this title, what we’ve done is run play tests that we started about a year into development. We’re on our fourth one now and that’s pushed out our development timeline. But again, we have that safety net of funding to help with that. That’s a part of what’s been good about having government backing to help with those sorts of things to do that.
THE SINKING CITY 2
Paul Milewski: I don’t know if it’s an Eastern European thing or just if it’s more question of like upbringing, but you can also look at it, sort of how it was in Poland and how it is in Ukraine. There’s something about the way that these companies write their stories. It’s not very black and white, right? Maybe you could argue that Western audience always wants the good guy, always the bad guy. You know, it’s very clean cut.
With stories that are coming out of Ukraine, there’s always this moral gray, middle road. They want to kind of do this thing where not everything is clean. You are not playing this hero that’s basically untouched in terms of infallibility and all that stuff. That’s always something that they have that they’ve done well, and this is something they’re going to apply here.
These games are just a small look into the world of indie game development from across the world, and all are being developed for Xbox. In fact, we can confirm that Sopa will be available with Game Pass once it launches, and that it and Sonzai are both part of our Developer Acceleration Program which works to empower game creators from underrepresented groups– you can learn more about DAP here.
Welcome to Next Week on Xbox! In this weekly feature we cover all the games coming soon to Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows, and Game Pass! Get more details on these upcoming games below and click their profiles for further info (release dates subject to change). Let’s jump in!
Join Cartman, Stan, Kyle, and Kenny, in three-dimensional glory, to celebrate the most magical day in any young child’s life – a snow day! A massive blizzard has thrown the town into chaos and, more importantly, canceled school. Play alone or with up to three friends, and battle through the snow-piled town of South Park.
Build a world for wildlife with Planet Zoo: Console Edition. Create unique habitats and vast landscapes, and make meaningful choices to nurture animals as you construct and manage the world’s wildest zoos using intuitive console controls.
Dive into the captivating journey of Justin and his allies as they race against the sinister Garlyle Forces. Unravel the mysteries of a forgotten civilization and immerse yourself in an RPG hailed as a timeless classic, with beautiful HD graphics.
Bulwark: Falconeer Chronicles is an open world builder with freedom and expression at its core, allowing players to build sprawling towns, spires, and fortresses that become hubs for trade, or rallying grounds for conquests
A spinoff of “Laws of Machine”, you play as a young girl named Sarah, who has to find out what happened in Robotec lab. To figure out what really happened in the lab, you have to reach underground Ascendo lab, where the trail that Sarah found in the memory of a robot DR12 leads
Super Space Club is a colorful endless arcade gunner set to the backdrop of chill, lo-fi music. As a club of skilled misfit pilots, defend the galaxy by taking on galactic forces and completing a series of thrilling missions. In space, everyone can hear you groove.
A shortage of magic crystals and the sudden awakening of ancient robots leads six new friends on an incredible investigation across Terra – a cozy and fantastic world that combines 3D and pixel art.
The Earth is sick and we are the disease. All hope rests on Gaia, a powerful being born from mother nature’s last breath. Use her abilities to alter the environment, escape from dangerous creatures, solve thoughtful puzzles and survive in this dying world.
A fantasy land plagued by nightmares, a common lad trying to rescue his missing mother and an evil forces conspiration to be unveiled. Join Ario in this thrilling adventure where your crossbow and skills will determine the fate of your people.
Experience a thrilling underwater adventure with classic point-and-click gameplay. Explore with 3 characters simultaneously. Ready for a journey to hidden places deep below the waves…?
Explore the eye of master artist Claude Monet and experience a unique biographical adventure! Test your skills and perseverance as you overcome the progressive disease that threatened Monet’s eyesight and solve puzzles to help the painter complete some of his greatest masterpieces!
Forrader Hero is a turn-based tactical roguelike where heroes must battle hordes of monsters, undead creatures, and their sinister overlords. Choose between multiple heroes with different unique skills, chart your path through the danger, and collect items to survive.
HOUSE is a horror adventure game where you play as a young girl exploring a dangerous house that’s doing everything it can to kill you and your family. Race against time to change fate…or fall into darkness yourself.
Re:Touring is a first-person puzzle game in which you’ll explore the abandoned Luoni Energy Competence Center and uncover the facility’s history, navigating through a total of 26 varied levels. Using a retro-style computer, you’ll create color patterns to control elements such as doors, platforms and lasers.
From the moment you set eyes on it, it’s clear that Harold Halibut is a particularly intricate labor of love. A narrative adventure set under the sea, the game places you in the squeaky shoes of its titular protagonist Harold, a lab assistant working aboard an underwater spaceship.
As Harold, you’ll bimble around the confines of the (admittedly, quite large) spaceship, cleverly separated into different districts by the game’s water tube system, which essentially fires humans through little pipes to their destinations. Along the way, you’ll encounter a quirky cast of characters, all busy with their existences but ready to involve Harold in their wacky goings-on, whether it’s looking for a lost pet bird or helping the local shopkeeper win back his wife’s love. The characters spread around Harold Halibut are written brilliantly and bursting with a quintessentially British humor.
The premise of Harold Halibut is equally as fascinating. Without giving too much away, Harold descends from a small colony of explorers that ventured out to find a new planet to inhabit. The ship ended up stranded underwater, and generations of humans have managed to survive and thrive there. As you progress, Harold starts to uncover stories about the history of humanity, the fate of Earth, and the people he’s surrounded by, all while proving to himself that he’s capable of bigger things.
The delightful writing is encased in Harold Halibut‘s most obvious quirk – the game is physically made out of clay, every asset you see in game is handcrafted and then digitally scanned into the game, which is an utterly incredible process. This method makes Harold Halibut feel pleasantly retro, harking back to 90s point-and-click adventure games like The Neverhood, but with a slick, modern feel.
Harold Halibut‘s stunning retro-futuristic aesthetic is also complimented by some incredible audio design; every interaction, conversation or environmental noise comes with a satisfying crunch that makes you feel like you’re really in the room with Harold. The pairing of the sound and handmade visuals together gives Harold Halibut a super unique visceral joy, making even an empty corridor or quiet room feel immersive and interesting.
You’ll visit most of the game’s environments and speak to its cast of characters repeatedly to uncover their stories, but stopping to explore these gorgeous environments never feels like a chore. The game is filled with lovely little puzzles and mini-games too, which adds a pleasing level of interactivity to the walking and talking you’ll do each in-game day. Harold Halibut wants you to pay attention to the little things, its quirky set dressing, subtle, silly jokes, and the thought that has gone into those things is truly rewarding.
I only spent a few hours with Harold, but I’m already enthralled with where the narrative is going, and what weird and wonderful creatures I’m going to encounter on Harold’s journey to resdicover Earth. Harold Halibut is shaping up to be an incredibly special game, and one I can’t wait to play more of.
Harold Halibut is set to launch on Xbox Series X|S and via Game Pass on April 16.
Hey Xbox Insiders! We have a new Xbox Update Preview releasing to the Delta ring today.
It’s important we note that some updates made to these preview OS builds include background improvements that ensure a quality and stable build for Xbox consoles. We will continue to post these release notes, even when the noticeable changes to the UI are minimal or behind the scenes, so you’re aware when updates are coming to your device.
Details can be found below!
System Update Details
OS Version: XB_FLT_2404ZN25398.4041.240318-2000
Available: 4 p.m. PT – March 21, 2024
Mandatory: 3 a.m. PT – March 22, 2024
Fixes Included
Thanks to all the great feedback Xbox Insiders provide and the hard work of Xbox engineers, we are happy to announce the following fixes have been implemented with this build:
Capture & Share
Fixes to improve unexpected behavior in the Captures app when storing captures on both the internal Xbox storage and an external drive.
Installation
Fixes to address an unexpected error some users experienced when updating Minecraft (0x87e00021).
System
Various updates to properly reflect local languages across the console.
While known issues may have been listed in previous Xbox Insider Release Notes, they are not being ignored! However, it may take Xbox engineers more time to find a solution. If you experience any of these issues, we ask that you please follow any guidance provided and file feedback with Report a Problem.
Audio
Some users have reported experiencing intermittent audio issues across the dashboard, games, and apps.
Troubleshooting: If you do experience issues, please confirm your TV and all other equipment have the latest firmware installed. If you are unsure, you may need to contact the manufacturer for assistance. You can also find additional troubleshooting tips here: Troubleshoot audio on your Xbox console.
Feedback: If you continue to experience issues after applying the latest firmware and troubleshooting further, please submit feedback via Report a Problem when you are experiencing the issue. Use the “Reproduce with advanced diagnostics” option, then select the category “Console experiences” and “Console Audio Output Issues”.
Note: Be sure to include as much information as possible about the issue, when it started, your setup, troubleshooting you have completed, and any additional information that will help us reproduce the issue.
Networking
We are investigating reports of an issue where the console may not connect to the network immediately on boot. If you experience this, be sure to report the issue via Report a Problem as soon as you’re able.
Workaround: Wait a minute or two for the connection to establish. If your console still hasn’t connected, restart your Xbox from the Power Center or the guide then file feedback with Report a Problem. Learn more about restarting here: How to restart or power cycle your Xbox console.
As always, be sure to use Report a problem to keep us informed of any issues you encounter. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but the data we’ll gather is crucial to finding a resolution.
If you’re an Xbox Insider looking for support, please visit the community subreddit. Official Xbox staff, moderators, and fellow Xbox Insiders are there to help with your concerns.
When posting to the subreddit, please look through the most recent posts to see if your issue has already been posted or addressed. We always recommend adding to existing threads with the same issue before posting a new one. This helps us support you the best we can! Also, don’t forget to use “Report a Problem” before posting – the information shared in both places helps us understand your issue better.
Thank you to every Xbox Insider in the subreddit today and welcome to the community if you’re just joining us! We love that it has become such a friendly and community-driven hub of conversation and support.
For more information regarding the Xbox Insider Program follow us on Twitter. Keep an eye on future Xbox Insider Release Notes for more information regarding your Xbox Update Preview ring!
Critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV Online is now available on Xbox Series X|S
Until April 19, players who purchase the full game will receive a variety of fun and useful in-game items including an item to boost experience gained
Previous open beta players and new players alike are invited to enjoy the Free Trial, which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood with no restrictions on play time. Any progress made during the open beta will of course carry over
We’re excited to announce that the full release of the critically acclaimed MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV Online, has launched today on Xbox Series X|S! Players will have plenty of content to enjoy before its newest expansion, Dawntrail, arrives this summer! The full release also lifts the restrictions present in the open beta.
Even better news is that, until April 19, players who pick up the game for Xbox Series X|S will be able to receive Early Purchase Bonuses to help them on their adventures, and Game Pass Ultimate subscribers will be able to receive the Starter Edition through their Perks, giving them complete access to three games in one for free!
Final Fantasy XIV Online has so much to offer in terms of customization and playable content! Learn more about the eight starting classes and their three starting locations that you can take into consideration when creating your very own Warrior of Light.
Creating Your Own Warrior of Light
Creating your character is the first step in your new adventure! Choose the new ‘you’ without worry, as all the race and gender options are equal. And don’t fret on choices at the start too much, as all are possible to change later!
During character creation, you will select a starting class that you can level into iconic Final Fantasy series jobs. There are eight starting classes to choose from, and many more to level and master as you progress. Not just battle-focused classes and jobs, but also classes related to crafting and gathering.
Don’t fret if you want to try more than one, as you can play all the available classes and jobs on a single character. You simply need to change your main hand weapon or tool and voila!
Choose Your Role
There are three roles that the various battle-focused classes and jobs fall under: Tanks, Healers, and DPS (which itself has different types).
Tanks – High in HP and trained in defense, a tank serves as the party’s shield. Skilled at keeping a foe’s attention and bearing the brunt of enemy attacks.
Healers – Healers use restorative arts to mend wounded companions. They can also help to mitigate damage, remove detrimental effects, and even bring fallen allies back to life.
DPSTypes
Melee DPS are close-range attackers. Focused on combos and careful positioning to inflict the maximum amount of damage. Physical ranged DPS attack foes from a distance. They excel at inflicting sustained damage, and also provide support for companions. Magical ranged DPS attack foes using a variety of arcane arts. Movement is restricted by casting times, but they excel at inflicting high burst damage.
Starting Locations
Your character’s starting class will not only determine your initial play style, but also where you begin your journey; in one of three beautiful city-states:
Ul’dah
Limsa Lominsa
Gridania
Gridania – In the eastern reaches of the Aldenard landmass, home to vast, dense woodlands and coursing rivers, lies the forest nation of Gridania. The cityscape is a mosaic of labyrinthine waterways and great wooden structures, so gracefully constructed they seem a part of the surrounding environment.
Limsa Lominsa – On the southern coast of the island of Vylbrand, under the shadow of ancient cliffs worn by the relentless onslaught of the Rhotano Sea, lies the marine city-state of Limsa Lominsa. Said to be blessed by the goddess of navigation, Llymlaen, the city is spread out over countless tiny islands, each connected by sturdy bridges of iron and wood construction, earning her the name the “Navigator’s Veil” from traveling bards who have witnessed the city’s beauty from afar.
Ul’dah – The bustling commercial hub of Ul’dah sits amid the desolate desert landscape of southern Aldenard. The city is organized strategically around the dome-shaped citadel at its center. Its towering fortifications and protective outer walls are visible for malms in all directions, and serve as a stark deterrent to would-be besiegers.
Below are where the eight starting classes begin and how they evolve into iconic Final Fantasy jobs:
Role
Starting Class
Evolved Job
Starting Location
Tank
Gladiator
Paladin
Ul’dah
Tank
Marauder
Warrior
Limsa Lominsa
Healer
Conjurer
White Mage
Gridania
Healer/DPS
Arcanist
Scholar (Healer) or Summoner (DPS)
Limsa Lominsa
DPS
Pugilist
Monk
Ul’dah
DPS
Lancer
Dragoon
Gridania
DPS
Archer
Bard
Gridania
DPS
Thaumaturge
Black Mage
Ul’dah
Of course, your adventures will extend far beyond these starting city-states and early class choices. You’ll be able to venture into a wide variety of new locations and learn a multitude of battle-focused jobs, as well as more easygoing crafting and gathering classes throughout your time in Eorzea.
Players are welcome to experience all that Final Fantasy XIV has to offer on the Xbox Series X|S today!
Dip your toes in with the Starter Edition which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood—the equivalent of three full Final Fantasy titles! Then, once you’re ready, you can purchase the Endwalker expansion which also includes Shadowbringers, further expanding the breadth of content available! Or dive headfirst into the full offering with the Complete Edition, which includes the three Starter Edition titles and the two most recent expansions: Shadowbringers and Endwalker.
For players who are looking for even more information on how to start the game, check out our Starter Guide series. The seven-part video series offers early tips and tricks for new players to get the most out of their adventures in Eorzea. The series follows the journey of new player Kaz and his mentor Mayra, who guides him through his first steps in FFXIV. You can check out the whole series in a playlist here!
Previous open beta players and new players alike are invited to enjoy the Free Trial, which includes A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, and Stormblood with no restrictions on play time and progress carrying over from the open beta. Note that there are in-game restrictions associated with the Free Trial, but these can be lifted by upgrading to the full game.
Please note that by registering the Starter Edition or Complete Edition to your account, will no longer be eligible for the Free Trial and a paid subscription will be required to play. (New accounts starting with the Starter Edition or the Complete Edition will receive a 30-day free play period. The 30-day free play period can be applied once to each platform on a single service account, so cross platform users can also enjoy this benefit.) Additionally, a subscription to both FFXIV and Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) is required to play.
We look forward to welcoming you to Eorzea!
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online – Complete Collector’s Edition – Early Purchase Bonus
The Complete Collector’s Edition is perfect for new players as it includes the base game and all expansions through Endwalker – all in one comprehensive package!
Purchase by 04-20-2024 (10:00 UTC) to receive the following bonus items!
• Palom Minion
• Menphina’s Earring (including 30% EXP bonus up to level 80)
These items will be delivered in-game via the Moogle Delivery Service. Minions are vanity pets that do not have any effect on a player’s attributes. The Earring grants a 30% increase in EXP gained by defeating enemies when worn, equippable only by Disciples of War or Magic classes and jobs.
Service accounts that already claimed pre-order bonus items for FINAL FANTASY XIV: Endwalker are not eligible for the Early Purchase Bonus items.
This edition also includes all Collector’s Edition in-game bonus items:
-Endwalker
• Arion Mount
• Wind-up Porom Minion
• Death Scythe
-Shadowbringers
• Grani Mount
• Wind-up Fran Minion
• Revolver Gunbreaker Weapon
-Stormblood
• Syldra Mount
• Wind-up Bartz Minion
• Chicken Knife Red Mage Weapon
-Heavensward
• Flying Griffin Mount
• Dark Knight Cecil-themed Baron Helm
• Wind-up Kain
• Phial of Fantasia, an item that grants you a single opportunity to edit your character’s appearance.
-A Realm Reborn
• Fat Chocobo Mount
• Coeurl Mount
• Wind-up Moogle Minion
• Baby Behemoth Minion
• Behemoth Barding
• Helm of Light
This Edition also includes a 30-day free play period*
IMPORTANT:
• *The 30-day free play period included with purchase can only be applied once to each platform on a single service account.
•All editions of the game require user registration. All editions of the game other than the Free Trial require an active paid subscription to play.
•Age restrictions and other terms and conditions apply. Please refer to the User Agreement (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_agreement) and Square Enix Account Terms of Use (https://sqex.to/ffxiv_terms) for the terms and conditions of registration and service. Please visit the FINAL FANTASY XIV website at https://www.finalfantasyxiv.com/ for additional information.
• An active Xbox Game Pass Core or Xbox Game Pass Ultimate plan is required to play this product.
