Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu spoke at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2023 Las Vegas and was joined by Phil Spencer (the Xbox boss) and Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P, FF XIV producer and director).

The Japanese publisher has announced that Final Fantasy XIV, their MMORPG currently only available on PlayStation and PC, will also be coming to Xbox. Spencer said on stage, “What I appreciate about [Naoki Yoshida] and your team is putting the player at the center of everything you do. It couldn’t be more apparent than watching your presentation today. At Xbox, we share a very similar spirit regarding our players. And we’re inspired by how you have made Final Fantasy XIV with [everyone] a global success, and we want to bring the Xbox community and your Warriors of Light together in a safe, secure, and engaging way—and above all, fun.

And we also see this as a seminal moment in our relationship with [Square Enix] and the Final Fantasy team as we look to partner more closely together. The entire Xbox team is excited to see how our newest Warriors of Light will use the full capabilities of Xbox Series X and Series S to help save Eorzea. And I’m excited to partner with you, Yoshida-san, and your studios as you bring this incredible franchise to global platforms to enable more players to connect and experience the joy of gaming together. We deeply respect the rich legacy of Square Enix, and we look forward to building on the relationship that we’ve established in bringing Final Fantasy XIV to Xbox and partnering closely with you and the Square Enix team on future games,” Spencer said.

Kiryu responded, “First off, thank you, Phil-san, for working with us to make the Xbox version of Final Fantasy XIV a reality. This project wouldn’t have been possible without [Phil’s] support. I think I can speak for myself, [Yoshida], and all of our Warriors of Light here watching the live stream when I say how excited I am to see Xbox support added and for us to welcome countless new friends to the world of Final Fantasy XIV. Final Fantasy XIV will only get bigger and better, so for all the Xbox gamers out there, I urge you to try Final Fantasy XIV. And one more thing, as CEO of Square Enix, we want to continue to deliver fabulous games to fans across the world, and of course, we want to welcome the Xbox community as well, starting with today’s announcement of Final Fantasy XIV coming in spring 2024, and whenever possible, we are planning to bring our games to Xbox for players around the world to enjoy. We look forward to working closely with Phil and the Xbox team to make this possible.” Yoshida said he was grateful and committed to working with Xbox.

Just don’t let this situation turn into Microsoft buying Square Enix. We wouldn’t rule this scenario out.

Source: Gematsu