Image credit: Em Stonham for Kyusai
MMOs have always been one of my favorite ways to spend my free time; there’s something deeply satisfying about taking a fresh character and levelling them up into an all-powerful Mage or Hunter, developing a backstory for them in the process.
My main game has always been World of Warcraft, along with Rift, but, somehow, I’ve only just started playing Final Fantasy XIV Online in 2026. A little late to the party? Sure, but I bought snacks. Here’s how the iconic MMO holds up as a new player in 2026, based on my time as a player who’s just hit level 20.
Detailed onboarding, intuitive controls
MMOs can be an all-consuming experience, if you’re so inclined. The gargantuan size and scope of MMO worlds mean they’re always fun to explore – but it can mean that taking on a new one can feel quite intimidating, too, with a mountain of lore to unpick and scores of buttons to learn in rotation.
Luckily, the Final Fantasy XIV experience is welcoming for new players and I found that the game quickly worked its way into my daily rotation.
Something that immediately stood out to me when creating my first character in Final Fantasy XIV is just how detailed the character creator is. Not only do you pick out your race, initial class, and first name, but you’ll also pick your clan, surname, birthday, and more, before choosing height, body features, and facial details.
I had a blast with the FFXIV character creator – although I was quite surprised to see my Roegadyn Thaumaturge appear in the first series of cutscenes wearing something that looked like it’d been plucked from the depths of Killstar’s back catalogue.
As someone who’s been playing World of Warcraft for the last eleven years, I found some of the stylistic choices in FFXIV to be surprising. While this’ll sound eyerollingly obvious to folks who like Final Fantasy, the game is very anime-adjacent, with some hyper-stylized hairstyles and dramatic, mall goth outfits.
That’s not to say that it’s bad, though. I love dressing up my character with her silly heart tattoo – she looks a little out of place in cutscenes sometimes, but the class fantasy is still there.
Combat-wise, I found FFXIV to have a smooth and detailed tutorial experience. I’ve played Fire Mage for most of my World of Warcraft years, so I opted for Thaumaturge in FFXIV, aiming to ease the transition between games with seemingly similar classes.
The tutorial took me through each of the Thaumaturge abilities slowly, and there were optional side quests or challenges that I could take on to practice things like taking down additional mobs in a boss fight or dodging ranged area attacks. Admittedly, you can AFK in some of these tutorials and still win, but generally, they’re great.
The pacing somewhat threw me off guard with FFXIV; the game is much slower in story than previous MMOs I’ve spent my time with. This is far from a negative, though.
I had initially put off starting FFXIV as the thought of learning an entirely new world and remembering all the characters seemed a little overwhelming, but I was pleasantly surprised by how detailed the story introduction in the game was. There are a lot of cutscenes and it is quite on-rails in places, but it’s a game that wants you to care about its story and its characters, which I loved.
Exploring the world in FFXIV feels rewarding, too. I’m a completionist and collector in games – I have almost every Battle Pet in World of Warcraft, and no, I couldn’t tell you why – so I was delighted to find scores of strange little side quests, minions, and pieces of gear to collect as I levelled my new character.
While I must reiterate that I’ve only just started my FFXIV journey – I can’t comment on endgame PvE and how it compares to other games, for example – I can enthusiastically recommend checking it out as a new player in 2026.
There’s a lot to unpack in the game’s story, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll spend a good amount of time wandering around the game’s desert cities and vibrant outposts instead of just tunnelling through the main story. The world of Final Fantasy XIV Online feels charming and elaborate all at once, and I can’t wait to get my first character to max level.
FAQs
Final Fantasy XIV Online initially came out in 2010, but was replaced with its 2.0 version in 2013, featuring a revamped engine and more engaging user experience.
Yes, FFXIV is worth playing in 2026. It’s a vibrant and engaging MMO, with plenty of interesting content for both casual and competitive players.
FFXIV is playable on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X/S, Mac, and PC.
No – as someone who hasn’t spent much time with Final Fantasy, I would say you don’t need to know the franchise lore to enjoy the MMO. You may have a deeper appreciation for the story and style of FFXIV, but I wouldn’t say it’s essential.
