If you‘ve been enjoying your time in Eorzea with the generous free trial of Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV), you may be wondering what‘s next once you hit level 60 and complete the Heavensward expansion. This guide will walk you through the full process of upgrading from the free trial to the paid full game step-by-step, so you can continue your epic adventure!
Should I Upgrade to the Full Game?
The FFXIV free trial gives you access to the entire base game (A Realm Reborn) and the Heavensward expansion up to level 60 with no time limit. However, once you reach the maximum level and finish Heavensward‘s main scenario questline, you‘ll be blocked from progressing further in the story or gaining any more XP.
Upgrading to the full game lifts these restrictions entirely, allowing you to:
- Gain XP and level past 60 to the new cap of 90
- Take on the additional expansions Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker
- Unlock new jobs and content
- Join a Free Company (FC) player guild
- Trade with other players on the marketplace
- Enjoy unlimited playtime
For fans of FFXIV who want to experience everything Eorzea has to offer, upgrading to the full game is a must. The additional expansions add over 200 hours of new story quests, zones, dungeons, raids, jobs, and more!
Purchasing the Full Game
Before upgrading, you‘ll need to purchase the full game:
For PC:
- Purchase the Complete Edition which includes all expansions from the Square Enix Online Store or other retailers like Steam.
For PlayStation:
- Purchase the Starter Edition from the PlayStation Store to upgrade to the full base game.
- Purchase expansions like Endwalker separately if desired.
Once purchased, you‘ll receive a game code that must be registered to your existing service account.
How Many People Upgrade from the Free Trial?
According to the FFXIV developers, over 50% of free trial players go on to purchase the full game. This shows that the unlimited free trial is an incredibly effective tool for transitioning players into paid subscribers.
In their 2021 annual report, Square Enix revealed FFXIV had 47 million registered players. Though not all of these are active subscribers, it illustrates the game‘s immense popularity. FFXIV continues to see growth thanks to positive word of mouth and the free trial‘s appeal.
Registering Your Full Game Code
For PC:
After purchasing the Complete Edition, you‘ll receive a game code that must be registered to your existing Square Enix account:
- Log in to the Mog Station and select "Enter Game Code".
- Enter the game code from your purchase and click Next.
- Select the free trial service account you wish to upgrade.
- Click Next to confirm and register the code to your account.
For PlayStation:
Follow the redemption instructions from your purchase to register the code to your PlayStation Network account.
Downloading and Installing
Once registered, the full game will automatically unlock on your account.
For PC:
- Open the FFXIV launcher and the full game will begin downloading.
For PlayStation:
- The full game will start downloading after code redemption.
- You may need to manually start the download from the PlayStation Store.
Be sure you have enough free space on your hard drive or SSD for the full game. The Complete Edition takes up around 80GB of storage space.
Confirming the Upgrade
To make sure your account was properly upgraded:
- Log in to the Mog Station.
- Check your list of service accounts.
- You should see the free trial status removed and full access granted.
If you run into any issues, reach out to Square Enix support for assistance.
Experience the Full World of FFXIV!
With the full game unlocked, you can now journey beyond Heavensward and experience everything Eorzea has in store! Here‘s a glimpse of what you can look forward to:
- New jobs like Red Mage, Dancer, and Gunbreaker.
- Hundreds of new story quests and cutscenes.
- Fantastic new zones like Kugane and The Crystarium.
- Challenging new dungeons, trials, and raids.
- Player housing, glamour, treasure maps, and more!
Plus, you‘ll be able to join friends in Free Companies, take on endgame duties, and participate fully in FFXIV‘s welcoming community.
Take your time and enjoy all the new content at your own pace. FFXIV offers an incredible amount of content for new players to digest. Don‘t be afraid to ask fellow players for help and advice as you upgrade your adventure!
