Xbox free RPG download announced for February, no subscription needed

Xbox fans finally have the chance to play a highly-rated RPG for the first time ever, and it’s free.

The game is Final Fantasy XIV, an MMO that was previously exclusive to PC before being ported to the PlayStation 5. It’ll be making its way to Xbox Series X/S consoles in the coming months, but not before an open beta launches to test how it functions on Microsoft’s platforms.

Take a look at Final Fantasy XIV for yourself below

Square Enix has confirmed the open beta will kick off on 21 February and will feature “the same content, features, and limitations as the Free Trial version” of the game, with the exception of purchasable content.

It’s also been confirmed that when the full game is released, players will need a valid membership to Xbox Game Pass in order to play. This is an odd move, especially since the PlayStation version of the game doesn’t require PlayStation Plus to function. Nevertheless the game itself will be free-to-play, so if you’ve already got an Xbox Game Pass membership it’s worth checking out for yourself.

In other news, fans are still waiting for news on the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XVI. The game is currently exclusive to the PlayStation 5 but will soon launch on PC, with focus then shifting to the Xbox port.

The second part of the Final Fantasy VII remake, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, is also on the horizon and will be shown off in more detail during a State Of Play livestream this evening. The Final Fantasy VII remake is also exclusive to the PlayStation 5 and has been ported to PC, though there’s no telling if it’ll make it to Xbox platforms.

Don’t miss your chance to play Final Fantasy XIV early via the free open beta, which will kick off on 21 February.