Final Fantasy XIV hits Switch 2 this August with a subscription bomb that fans may not appreciate

Fans of Square Enix’s MMORPG will be happy to know that Final Fantasy XIV is finally coming to the Nintendo Switch 2, giving players a new portable way to experience its massive online world on the go. However, the game will still require a dedicated subscription in addition to the original purchase.

News about Final Fantasy XIV’s arrival on the Nintendo Switch 2 was shared during the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2026 in Anaheim, where the director and producer of the MMORPG appeared on stage in person.

Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida, alongside Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu, shared a first glimpse of the game running on the Nintendo Switch 2 right there at the fan fest. Final Fantasy XIV is set to launch in August 2026, but the game still doesn’t have a firm release date. Leading up to its launch, Square Enix will offer an Early Access period.

While Final Fantasy XIV has been available on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox for years now, its move to Nintendo’s Switch 2 feels like a natural next step for Square Enix. Yoshida had been teasing portable versions before, and it’s finally happening. However, there’s a catch.

In addition to the $19.99 price tag for the Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition, or $59.99 for the Final Fantasy XIV Online Complete Edition, which includes expansions like Shadowbringers, Endwalker, and Dawntrail, along with a higher level cap of 100. However, there is only a 30-day free-to-play period for both editions.

After your 30 days end, Entry Tier players must pay subscription fees of $12.99 per month, allowing a maximum of 8 characters per server world and 8 per physical data center. Standard Edition players will have to pay $14.99 per month to access up to 8 characters per world and 40 per physical data center.

However, Final Fantasy XIV Online’s Nintendo Switch 2 edition will require its own monthly subscription in addition to any existing subscription you already have. Square Enix reached this decision after discussions with Nintendo.

Yoshi-P explained to IGN: “After discussions with Nintendo, it was decided that the Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy XIV would require a separate subscription. Again, this was decided after many months of discussions with Nintendo, and I understand that this is different from how we’ve done things before.”

However, Square Enix has seemingly convinced Nintendo to make some concessions or cut back on its own profits to a certain degree. Yoshi-P stated that players won’t need an active Nintendo Switch Online membership to play Final Fantasy XIV. In addition to this, players who already own the game on another platform will receive a 50% discount on FFXIV Entry and Standard subscriptions on the Nintendo Switch 2.