Square Enix Reveals Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Beta Test Start Date

In his 43rd Letter from the Producer, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn producer and director Naoki Yoshida finally reveals the beleaguered MMORPG’s beta test start date: February 25, 2013. While Yoshida admits this is “about a week late,” he assures players the delay has allowed the Final Fantasy XIV team to prepare more system features and character options for the beta. This will be the first phase of the beta; Yoshida does not elaborate on the subsequent phases.

What Yoshida does elaborate on, however, are three key features of the first phase: FATE, the guildhest system, and an instanced dungeon for level 30 players.

FATE

“FATE” stands for “Full Active Time Event.” These non-instanced events will trigger randomly in the field and will take several forms. All players, including solo players, can participate—they simply need to be in proximity of a FATE.

Guildhest System

The guildhest system is the new name for Final Fantasy XIV v1.x’s behest system. Behests were regularly occurring quests to slay monsters near aetheryte and aetherial gates. The Final Fantasy XIV team has renamed the behest system because, in Yoshida’s words, “after tweaking it so much, we thought it deserved a new name. lol!”

Instanced Dungeon

The Final Fantasy XIV team has prepared an instanced dungeon designed for level 30 players. Here, players will face a boss with “a few tricks up its sleeve.” While this may sound unremarkable, conquering this dungeon could prove challenging because, as with the alpha test, the beta test will restrict players to areas around the city-state of Gridania. Leveling up past level 15 through quests will prove difficult, as the main story quest at this level will require players to travel to beta-inaccessible nations, and side quests are designed around main quests. Yoshida encourages level 15 players to continue leveling up “through the variety of content that will be available.”

The Final Fantasy XIV team has begun distributing beta tester acceptance e-mails. However, the team is still accepting applications. Interested players can apply at the North American and European beta tester application pages. The North American page also covers Latin American countries, while the European page covers many countries outside Europe, including Russia, Australia, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.

For more information on the first phase of the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn beta test, read Naoki Yoshida’s Letter from the Producer, XLIII. For up-to-date information on Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, visit the Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone.

As a parting thought, here is a reminder from Yoshida:

While you all enjoy the game, I hope you also provide us with tons of feedback like you did during the alpha test.

SOURCES: 1, 2