China gets FF14 open beta release date and pre-order bonuses (UPDATED)

UPDATE 25-08-14 An earlier version of this article claimed the game’s full release date was revealed as August 25, when in fact this is when the beta becomes open to all.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (FFXIV: ARR) has proven popular at this year’s ChinaJoy. The director and producer credited with saving the game from its disastrous initial launch, Naoki “Yoshi P” Yoshida, also attended the convention to interact with fans. Shortly after the show closed, he and Shanda Games CEO Zhang Xiangdong announced the Chinese open beta’s release date—August 25.

(See: Final Fantasy XIV China beta to begin on April 23)

While the show itself is mostly known for being too focused on booth babes, attendees nonetheless liked the look of FF14:ARR at the show. They now have the opportunity to come back home from ChinaJoy and jump right in—as the open beta for all pre-order customers is finally opening in China.

Players who do not already have access from previous testing phases can enter the beta by simply purchasing the game from Baidu, JD.com, or Taobao. That much will grant beta access. 78 RMB (roughly $13) gets you 39 RMB (roughly $6) of play-time and beta access, as well as a different pre-order bonus for each retailer:

That’s a Legacy Chocobo mount for Baidu customers, a pair of Garlond Goggles from JD.com, and a Black Chocobo Chick pet for those who buy from Taobao. These items were available in the West and Japan as legacy rewards for players of the original Final Fantasy XIV, veteran rewards for subscribing for more than 60 days, and original preorder rewards.

The game will be hitting China more than a year after its release in the rest of the world, but such delays are nothing new to the territory. Although many Chinese people know of the Final Fantasy series (mainly through Faye Wong’s contribution to the Final Fantasy VIII soundtrack), this will in fact be the first time the series has seen an official release in the mainland. Interest still seems to be high, and the game is solid—so it could be that Final Fantasy XIV has what it takes to thrive in the overcrowded Chinese MMO market.

(via Duowan)

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