Final Fantasy XI Marks 24th Anniversary With Animated Short
The short is the latest sign that Square Enix continues to invest in Final Fantasy XI's identity two decades after its launch, even as its successor Final Fantasy XIV dominates the MMORPG conversation.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime News Network.
Square Enix released a new animated short titled "Our Adventure Never Ends" for Final Fantasy XI's 24th anniversary. Animation filmmaker Wakaboku created the one-minute video, which features music by composer Naoshi Mizuta and follows a player party exploring Vana'diel. The game debuted on May 16, 2002, and its latest story chapter launched in May 2023.
Animation filmmaker Wakaboku, known for his work on the Pokémon short "GOTCHA!" and the Final Fantasy XIV "Dawntrail" trailer, directed the anniversary piece. The video shows a party of different races and jobs-a deliberate nod to the game's character system-fighting monsters across Vana'diel. Composer Naoshi Mizuta, who has scored Final Fantasy XI since its early expansions, provided the music.
The game itself has not received a major expansion since 2013's "Seekers of Adoulin," but Square Enix has kept the service running with story updates. The most recent, "The Voracious Resurgence," concluded in May 2023. The short arrives alongside a website redesign, another sign the company is not treating the 24-year-old MMORPG as a legacy product left to run on its own.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network Final Fantasy XI MMORPG Celebrates 24th Anniversary with Animated Short