Final Fantasy 14 Mobile released a mid-July update that locked access to the game's market board and other economic functions behind a paywall that requires players to spend a minimum amount of money before they become available again. The Final Fantasy 14 Mobile development team stated that the changes were made in an ongoing effort to curtail real-money trading (RMT) and other illicit activities.
Final Fantasy 14 Mobile is a collaborative effort between Square Enix and Tencent subsidiary Lightspeed Studios, with the latter serving as the main development team behind the project. Compared to the PC and console releases of Final Fantasy 14, the mobile game's combat system was made with touchscreens in mind. In short, Jobs like the Bard, Paladin, and White Mage have had their spells and abilities simplified for the mobile port. Final Fantasy 14 Mobile is currently available in China as a free-to-play title, with a closed beta test in Japan now underway.
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PostsGiven that Final Fantasy 14 Mobile allows players to pay a fee to skip some tedious tasks, the game has also attracted attention from bad actors. As reported by longtime Final Fantasy 14 content creator MrHappy1227, FF14 Mobile released an update on July 11 that took measures to combat real-money trading (RMT) and other "black market activities" that go against the game's terms of service.
In a post on Bilibili, later translated to English by the FF14 Mobile community Discord, the development team announced that face-to-face trading, market board access, and company chest usage would be locked behind a paywall to combat RMT activities. FF14 Mobile players must spend at least 30 yuan (roughly $4.18) to regain access to those features. The fee is just under a third of the price of an entry-level subscription to FF14 on PC and consoles, which starts at $12.99 per month before sales tax.
Final Fantasy 14 Mobile Locks Market and Trading Behind A Paywall
Rewards from completing main story quests will also be trimmed down as part of the anti-RMT countermeasures taken by Lightspeed Studios. While Final Fantasy 14 Mobile is taking steps to combat RMT, players also noted that the game has other glaring issues concerning the game's open world. In late June, Final Fantasy 14 Mobile players spotted a tower from the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions that should not appear in the mobile version at present, given that its main focus is on A Realm Reborn content.
CloseWhile the microtransactions of Final Fantasy 14 Mobile remain a contentious topic for players, it is not clear how long the restrictions on the market board and other features will remain in place. Only time will tell how Final Fantasy 14 Mobile will change ahead of its eventual Western launch.
