I’m somewhat ashamed to admit it, but I didn’t realise just how big Final Fantasy XIV was until we were invited to attend the Digital Fan Festival 2021 event over on Twitch. The good news is that if you happened to miss it, but would like to see what went down, you can still head on over and watch the roughly 20-hour event that took place over two days, and if you’re keen to have a read over the exact announcements, we’ve posted specifically about the Endwalker expansion and related Merchandise in their own articles. On the other hand, we’ll be writing about the event in general.

The Final Fantasy franchise is perhaps one of the most well-known franchises on the planet, and Square Enix are constantly pushing multiple boundaries. The Final Fantasy Digital Fan Festival 2021 is no exception, and even with the restrictions in place due to the global pandemic, they have put on quite an impressive show. The stage is set with a beautiful cinematic that teases some of the upcoming announcements before Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida makes his grand entrance in full cosplay. Sporting a flowing black cape, clad in leather armour with a giant black hat, and wielding a very menacing scythe, Yoshida commands the stage. Needless to say, the chat section was nearly impossible to read as he announced the opening of the festival. Yoshida then introduced Micheal Christopher Koji Fox, the Localisation Supervisor for Final Fantasy XIV, who will be working as the English voice for Yoshida during the keynotes.

After a little banter between the pair over not being able to keep up with the comments on YouTube and Twitch, and having to go on a diet to fit into his intimidating cosplay. This little segway is used to help announce the new job that is being introduced as part of the Endwalker expansion, and after stalling with an action-packed gameplay trailer, they finally announce the Reaper; a high DPS melee character who can summon avatars, and a first in Final Fantasy games. After two hours of exciting announcements, they introduce the CEO of Square Enix Yosuke Matsuda, who has a beautiful message for his fans that shows just how appreciative the company is of their continued support.

After being introduced to some key members of the development team, a brief interlude featuring some truly inspiring art pieces, all finalists in the Art Contest, we get to experience some of the new game locations as the presenters show off their favourite areas, and they are all truly impressive, fitting right in with the Final Fantasy franchise. As the day goes on, with more announcements and discussions, fans fill the stream chat with “shut up and take my money!” – A true testament to how devoted they are, and as the day comes to an end, an absolutely gorgeous performance by Keiko on piano helps close the first day’s events, featuring musical scores that almost bring tears to the eyes with their beauty.

It’s fantastic to see that even in a global pandemic, Square Enix has put so much time and effort into the Final Fantasy XIV Digital Fan Festival 2021 and shown the fans that they are still their highest priority. While the amphitheatre lacked a real audience, the experience felt just as real and exciting as ever. The deafening cheers from the crowds were replaced by chat messages that were scrolling so fast it was impossible to keep up, which only proved how devoted the fans are. If you have some spare time, the Final Fantasy Digital Fan Festival 2021 is well worth the watch – all from the comfort of your own home.

If you’d like to rewatch the Fan Festival 2021, you can do so below.