Square Enix has announced that it will be holding a press conference on March 19, 2015 at midnight PDT “regarding future plans” for Final Fantasy XI. The almost ominous announcement gave away no other clue, but did state that fans will be able to watch the press conference live on YouTube here, which at the moment states it’s private. So let’s take a look at what kind of news would prompt a press conference.

Let’s go for the obvious one - is this the end of Final Fantasy XI? Is Square Enix finally putting it out to pasture? I really hope not. While it’s been a long time since I last stepped foot in Vana’diel, I have nearly a decade of memories with that game. I know there are still people playing, in fact a friend of mine recently returned to XI, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Although the game has continued to have events and campaigns, the subscription numbers are far from being what they used to be, servers have already been condensed into a smaller number etc.

Now I may be jumping the gun, maybe the news is good? Maybe the game is going free-to-play and taking on some kind of premium membership aspect that The Elder Scrolls Online recently decided to implement? If it went free-to-play, I would definitely return to my old stomping grounds. As much as I wish this were the case, I have this horrible feeling in my gut that the news is not good. Even if it were to go free-to-play, is that just another sign that it’s on its way out?

A new expansion maybe? Well this seems the least likely, even when considering that it doesn’t necessarily have to mean a fully fledged expansion but more like the Abyssea add-ons. To be honest, I don’t think Square Enix would call a press conference for an add-on either.

With the release of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s first expansion on the horizon, are we being faced with the prospect of saying good-bye to Final Fantasy XI for good? I really hope we’re not, so I’ve got my fingers crossed. What do you think? Let us know in the comments below.

SOURCE: Twitter

Meg Pelliccio

Editor at Geeks Don't Lie

Meg appreciates gaming on all formats, but primarily spends her time achievement hunting to the extreme. Her passion for gaming began as a child, when first introduced to the Amstrad. A collector of gaming consoles past and present, Meg spends as much of her time rediscovering old classics as she does playing the latest releases.