With Steven headed to PAX East this weekend, he did me dirty and assigned me the duty of tracking down all of this week’s MMO launches. I did my best, and I’m sure Steven will catch you up next week on anything I missed. This week, we get a quirky third-person shooter, blockchain, and the GOAT comes to Xbox Series X|S.

Final Fantasy XIV – Xbox

We let Steven off for just one weekend, and the next thing you know, I am kicking off this week’s MMO Launch Spotlight by claiming that Final Fantasy XIV is a new release? Well, technically, it is a new release on Xbox Series X|S. And just like you’d expect from a ten-year-old game, Square Enix and Microsoft have made it as hard as possible to actually join in on the fun.

For starters, Square Enix has multiple editions available to choose from, starting at the top of the heap with the Complete Collector’s Edition and Complete Edition. Both of these versions offer the complete FFXIV story, starting with A Realm Reborn along with all of the expansions – Heavansward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker. The only difference between the two editions is the Collector’s Edition includes all of the in-game bonus items and the regular Collector’s Edition doesn’t.

For those not ready to go all-in right from the start, the Starter Edition includes the base game along with the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions. Anyone who picks up this version can pick up the standalone Endwalker or Endwalker Collector’s Edition to add the final two expansions to their library later on.

Finally – and probably the best option for anyone who has never played FFXIV, the Xbox Series X|S has the same Trial version that you can find on the PC. The trial includes all of the content from the Starter Edition with no restriction on playtime. The only limitation to the Starter Edition is that your character can only reach level 70, but you’ll either quit playing or buy the Complete Edition long before you get to that point.

Confused yet? To make things more difficult, you must have an Xbox Game Pass (Core or Ultimate) to access FFXIV, even though the game itself isn’t included in your Game Pass subscription. One caveat to this is that the Trial version doesn’t require a Game Pass subscription, making it the go-to option for anyone wanting to save a few bucks as they level their character up. For a limited time, Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can pick up the Starter Edition as a free perk through April 19, 2024. Regardless of what version you pick, you will have to link your Xbox account to a Square Enix account

Night Crows

Available on iOS and Android, Night Crows has everything you would expect from a mobile MMORPG, and a little bit more. Auto travel? Check. Auto questing? Of course. Auto battling? I wouldn’t settle for anything less more. Pay to win? Devs gotta get paid and whales need to dispose of extra cash.

But Night Crows doesn’t stop there. One additional buzzword will drive a stake through the heart of any old-school MMOer – Blockchain! Yes, Night Crows uses a WEB3-based economy, and it doesn’t have just one token. It has seven types of Multi-Utility Tokens that can be minted, or crafted, in-game.

As you might expect, Night Crows currently has a 1.8 user score on Android while doing slightly better on iOS with a 2.2. Player reviews note that while the graphics look spectacular, leveling to the endgame is boring and extremely slow. Players can pick from four classes – Swordman, Witch, Warrior, and Hunter – each of which has two specializations. As previously mentioned, leveling is of the auto-battler sort and can be completed almost hands-free.

Endgame content includes the Battlefront, a massive server vs server vs server war that is more lagfest than skill, with whales dominating all others. PvE players will get more of the same at the endgame, with dungeons becoming your new AFK battle area, perfect for making millions grinding crypto.

Battle Room Beta

Team deathmatch meets Toy Story in the free-to-play Battle Room Beta. You’ll pick a miniature toy soldier and then head to a bedroom battlefield (I came up with that all on my own) to take on an opposing team in this third-person shooter. 

As the name implies, BRB has just entered a free-to-play Beta. Currently, there are only two maps, a handful of character models, and poorly coded AI players filling empty spots on team rosters. With more potential than actual features, developers Axhorn Games plan to add 2 additional game modes, 10 new levels, and 20 character models in the future.