April Topics, 2009
Community Team Podcast Tour Kicks Off! (04/30/2009)
Pet Food Alpha has kicked off the first leg of the Community Team Podcast Tour! The episode introduces the Community Team and discusses the Square Enix commitment to global support of FINAL FANTASY XI. Be sure to check out Pet Food Alpha and this initial look into the role of the Community Team!
We'd also like to remind players about the upcoming two episodes of He Says She Says and Limit Break Radio where guests from the Community Team will be providing more insight on in-game seasonal events and FINAL FANTASY XI live events! Please note that the air dates have been updated:
- Pet Food Alpha with Robert Peeler: Available Now!
- He Says She Says with Matt Hilton: 5/6
- Limit Break Radio with Robert Peeler and Matt Hilton: 5/13
Visit Pet Food Alpha, He Says, She Says, and Limit Break Radio for more details!
Feast of Swords Draws Nigh! (04/24/2009)
Brush off your bamboo swords and gird yourselves for a breathtaking battle royale, as the favored fete of lionhearted young lads everywhere—that exhilarating Far Eastern extravaganza of courage and valor known as the Feast of Swords—is set to make its triumphant return!
What hair-raising hijinks await participants in this year's event? Read on to find out!
*The Feast of Swords will come whirling into town on Tuesday, April 28 at 1:00 a.m. (PDT) and return to its sheath Tuesday, May 12 at the same hour.
7th Anniversary Fan Art Contest Deadline Draws Near! (04/22/2009)
The annual Fan Art Contest regularly attracts participants the world over, and this year is no exception.
We would like to remind all the aspiring artists out there that the submission period for this year's edition of the contest is due to close two weeks from now.
Submitted illustrations will be made available for the admiring pleasure of the entire world by way of an online gallery accessible via Topics. All entries will be judged by a star-studded panel consisting of development, operations, community and localization team members, with selected winners awarded a special prize – the "Nomad Moogle Rod" in-game item!
Be sure to send in your masterpiece by the Wednesday, May 6th, 2009 deadline.
Don't miss this chance to flex your creative muscles and be a part of this premier community event!
Learn how to participate here.
*Please confirm all entry requirements and ensure that your artwork is attached in the correct format prior to submission.
Vana'dielian Population Tops Two Million! (04/22/2009)
It is our distinct pleasure to announce that during the third week of April, the total number of active characters across all worlds in FINAL FANTASY XI has exceeded the two million mark for the first time!
Since the commencement of service on May 16th, 2002, Vana'diel has gone on to become a vibrant gathering place for adventurers hailing from all corners of the globe. Boasting four expansions and one add-on scenario with two more in the pipes, FINAL FANTASY XI continues to evolve into an ever richer realm of magic and adventure.
We would like to thank you, our fans, for your loyal patronage over the years, and look forward to your continued support for many more to come.
Announcing the First Community Team Podcast Tour!
(04/20/2009)
FINAL FANTASY XI community podcast sites have been informing and entertaining players for years. With new sites joining the audible medium and releasing new episodes each week, the Square Enix Community Team is looking to take advantage of this opportunity and appear as guests in their own Podcast Tour! Catch each exciting appearance as they air on Pet Food Alpha, He Says She Says, and Limit Break Radio throughout the months of April and May. Players may even have a chance to participate in an episode and win spectacular prizes!
Visit Pet Food Alpha, He Says She Says, and Limit Break Radio for more details!
Return Home to Vana'diel Campaign—The End Draws Near!
(04/14/2009)
It has been our distinct pleasure to reunite with the multitudes of adventurers that have returned home to Vana'diel via this year's campaign. Those of you who have yet to take advantage of this offer—take heart! The campaign will continue until Tuesday, April 28th at 1:00 a.m. (PDT).
Improvements to the system this time around have made it possible for the vast majority of your beloved characters—with only the rarest exceptions—to be reactivated, and participants will be rewarded with the ever-popular Anniversary Ring accessory.
Don't miss out on this special opportunity!
For further details regarding the campaign and how to apply, see here.
From the FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team
The Version Update Is Here! (04/09/2009)
The long-awaited April version update, featuring the first add-on scenario, "A Crystalline Prophecy," is finally in town! Bringing with it a slew of new content and refinements including Wings of the Goddess nation quests, the expansion of the Fields of Valor and Treasure Casket systems, a major upgrade to Moblin Maze Mongers, adjustments to jobs, the introduction of augmented items, and much more, this version update is sure to be a favorite with the crowds!
Peruse the seemingly endless list of improvements here.
From the FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team
Version Update Appetizers! (04/08/2009)
The fast-approaching April version update is set to be a veritable banquet of adjustments and additions catering to all adventurer palates, with the dishes on offer ranging from succulent morsels of Salvage to delightful bite-sized treats such as the new "/bell" text command.
Proceed here for the appetite-whetting details!
Announcing the Arrival of Square Enix Security Tokens & Square Enix Accounts! (04/07/2009)
We're pleased to announce that the Square Enix Security Token is now available for purchase via the PlayOnline Viewer! The token greatly increases the security of PlayOnline accounts by requiring users to log on using a one-time password, updated every 30 seconds, which is displayed on the token's screen.
Also debuting alongside the Square Enix Security Token is the new "Square Enix Account" system. Square Enix Accounts are compatible with FINAL FANTASY XI and PlayOnline, as well as other future online services. Users must first register a Square Enix Account, which is a free service, in order to make use of the security token.
* The Square Enix security token is available for purchase exclusively via the PlayOnline Viewer. The order page may be accessed from the FINAL FANTASY XI top page.
Click here to register a Square Enix Account.
The Square Enix Account information page may be accessed here.
Details on the in-game present for registered Square Enix account holders may be found here.
* We're sorry, but the initial stock of Square Enix security tokens has been sold out. Details regarding the next sales phase will be announced in the Information section in the near future. Thank you for your understanding.
From the FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team
Delve Even Deeper with the Moblin Maze Mongers! (Part 2)
(04/06/2009)
As previously introduced, the Moblin Maze Mongers will be unveiling a wide range of additions and refinements to their line of custom-order mazes in the upcoming version update. What manner of subterranean adventures do Goldagrik and the gang have in store for you this time?
Read on to find out!
Egg Hunt 2009: Open Season Coming Soon to Vana'diel!
(04/03/2009)
As spring ushers in longer days of bathing in the sun's rays, the return of vibrant colors to the wilderness, and itchy eyes and runny noses, we moogles fondly recollect the idyllic days spent incubating within the toasty warmth of our egg shells—a dreamy place where time flows by at a leisurely pace, kupo. Ah, how I long to return to that tranquil, untroubled period when a steadfast barrier of calcium carbonate stood between me and the trials and tribulations of the outside world...
Oh, uh...that's right, I'm supposed to be introducing the Egg Hunt Egg-stravaganza! A-ahem!
This year's edition of the event promises never before egg-sperienced levels of egg-based egg-joyment, kupo!
Erhm...maybe I went a wee bit too far with that last pun...
But getting back to the yolk of the matter, in addition to the perennial egg puns that you've all come to know and adore, the event will boast a splendid selegg-tion of egg-stremely egg-citing prizes that is bound to leave even the hardest of all hard cases shell-shocked in their baskets!
Need some more egging on? Then proceed here!
The Egg Hunt event is set to begg-in on Thursday, April 9th, 2009 at 1:00 (PDT), and conclude on Monday, April 20th, 2009 at 1:00.
The 7th Anniversary Fan Art Contest Approaches! (04/02/2009)
After months of anticipation, we're pleased to announce that the ever-popular Fan Art Contest is making a triumphant return! Throughout the years, the Fan Art Contest has proven to be a popular creative outlet for our players, and we expect this year to be no different. To celebrate FINAL FANTASY XI entering into its seventh year of service on May 16th, the theme of this year's contest is the 7th Anniversary. Send us your masterful renditions of subjects such as "celebrating the anniversary with friends" or "the journey of adventurers throughout the years," or even share some of your treasured memories related to the contest's theme.
Click here for more details.
From the FINAL FANTASY XI Development Team
Delve Even Deeper with Expanded Services from the Moblin Maze Mongers! (Part I) (04/01/2009)
Their business booming thanks to the loyal patronage of adventurers across Vana'diel, the ever profit-minded Moblins of the Moblin Maze Mongers (MMM) have a few more tricks up their sleeve! To reward their loyal customers—and hopefully entice a few new ones in the process—MMM will be unveiling a host of new services and refinements to their line of custom-order dungeons in the upcoming version update.
Read on for the first look!