Final Fantasy 14 could add jobs that are completely new to the Final Fantasy series.
Naoki Yoshida, producer and director of Final Fantasy 14, has hinted at plans to introduce “brand new jobs” to the game. As well as being new to the MMO, these could be roles that “haven’t appeared in the Final Fantasy series before”. Considering the series’ long-running history and the wealth of jobs already available in Final Fantasy 14, that’s easier said than done. There are currently 20 jobs on offer, the most recent additions being the Sage and the Reaper, both of which were included as part of the game’s Endwalker expansion (opens in new tab).
In an interview for Final Fantasy 11 website We Are Vana’diel (opens in new tab), Yoshi-P explains that it’s challenging to add new jobs as the “gameplay experience needs to match their pre-established design.” He continues, “At this point, I’m thinking we have no choice but to come up with brand new jobs that haven’t appeared in the FF series before.”
Akihiko Matsui, producer of Final Fantasy 11, echoes Yoshi-P’s point, describing the process as “difficult” as as the team “can’t release a superior version of a certain job, and a new job that offers the same experience as an existing one would defeat the purpose of adding a new job.”
Despite the challenge introducing new jobs presents, the Final Fantasy 14 developer sees their importance in keeping fans interested. “We always need to add more jobs to keep providing new gameplay experiences,” says Yoshi-P. While Matsui considers it a “rule of design” to “provide either a new job or playable race as the main feature of a new expansion.”
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker, the MMO’s fourth expansion, has proven extremely popular and has helped to carry Square Enix to a year of improved game sales.
Whether you’re a new or returning player, Square Enix’s MMO has a lot to offer. Here’s why you should play Final Fantasy 14 in 2022.