Final Fantasy XIV Mobile is being developed by Tencent’s Lightspeed Studios

• Square Enix and Lightspeed Studios have teamed up on Final Fantasy XIV Mobile

Square Enix is attempting another Final Fantasy title on mobile with a recreation of the 2013 MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV.

Named Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, the title is being "specifically tailored" for mobile and marketed at existing PC and console players as well as newcomers.

While Square Enix developed and published the original, Tencent-owned Lightspeed Studios is developing the new iteration. Square Enix will once again take on publishing duties and supervise the project.

Adapting to a mobile audience

In a YouTube video discussing the announcement, Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki Yoshida stated that Lightspeed Studios approached him with the idea of a Final Fantasy XIV mobile version.

"To be honest, I had a really strong desire to [release it on mobile], but I thought it would be difficult and was about to give up," he said (translated via YouTube subtitles).

Yoshida had to give "pretty tough feedback" on game design to make the title "easier for mobile users", deciding to build it more as a casual game to be played for short periods. It’s a different philosophy to the console and PC versions so Mobile will operate separately when it launches.

Square Enix also revealed that Final Fantasy XIV has hit 30 million lifetime installs across its various platforms - PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

An official release date for the mobile MMO hasn’t yet been confirmed, but pre-registrations are open as of the reveal trailer’s debut.

Reports of a mobile game based on Final Fantasy XIV arose this August after a Chinese licence was granted, though no official word was given by Square Enix or Tencent. It was unclear at the time whether this would be a port, a ground-up recreation or something else entirely.

Ultimately, Final Fantasy XIV looks to be a faithful recreation optimised for mobile, marking Square Enix’s latest mobile manoeuvre following game closure after game closure and "extraordinary losses" financially.

Last year’s mobile Final Fantasy, Ever Crisis, based on the popular Final Fantasy VII IP, took more than a year to hit $100 million gross revenue by AppMagic estimates.

Meanwhile, Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius was closed down after making $900 million.

Whether Final Fantasy XIV Mobile can carve out a space of its own remains to be seen.