Final Fantasy Xiv Free Trial Guide Content Restrictions And How To Access

Dec. 29, 2025, 9:09 a.m.

Tags: ffxiv

Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) offers a free trial that allows players to experience a significant portion of the game's content without making a purchase. This guide provides an in-depth look at what the free trial includes, its limitations, and how to access it. The information is based on the latest available documentation and user reports from the official FFXIV website, community forums, and related resources.

Overview of the Free Trial in FFXIV

The free trial in FFXIV is one of the most generous in the online gaming industry. It allows players to access the base game A Realm Reborn, as well as the first two expansions, Heavensward and Stormblood. These expansions include a vast array of content such as story quests, side quests, mini-games, and collectibles. Players can also participate in certain player versus environment (PvE) instances and enjoy the game's rich world-building and exploration features.

The free trial is available for PC players through the official FFXIV launcher, as well as for Mac users and PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5 players. Additionally, the free trial is accessible via the Steam platform. Players can choose to download the trial through either the official Square Enix website or the Steam page for the game.

What You Can Do on the Free Trial in FFXIV

The free trial provides access to a substantial portion of the game's content. Players can:

Complete the base game A Realm Reborn, which serves as the foundation for the game's story and mechanics.
Play through Heavensward, the first expansion, which introduces new zones, storylines, and features.
Access Stormblood, the second expansion, which adds further story content, new job classes, and additional activities.
Engage in a variety of in-game activities such as gathering, crafting, and exploring the world of Eorzea.
Participate in certain PvE instances, including dungeons and trials, provided the player has not reached the level cap for trial accounts.
Use the trial account to test different job classes and progression paths before deciding to purchase the game.

However, the free trial does not include access to endgame content such as ultimate raids, nor does it allow players to participate in player versus player (PvP) activities or team-based competitive events like The Feast.

Free Login Campaigns and Promotional Events

Square Enix periodically runs free login campaigns to encourage players to return to the game or try it out for the first time. These campaigns offer limited-time rewards and activities that are accessible to both free trial players and full game owners.

For example, the latest free login campaign includes access to the Crossroads patch, which features new alliance raids such as Echoes of Vana'diel - Jeuno: The First Walk and The Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic). These events are designed to provide trial players with a taste of high-level content and new challenges.

Additionally, the Starlight Celebration 2025 event, running from December 17th to December 31st, offers special items and collectibles that can be earned by logging in during the event period. Other seasonal events such as the Moogle Treasure Trove – Revelation and Patch 7.4 – Into the Mist also provide unique rewards for participants.

Restrictions and Limitations of the Free Trial

While the free trial offers a wide range of content, there are several restrictions that players should be aware of before starting. These limitations are divided into two categories: official restrictions and community-identified limitations.

Official Restrictions

According to Square Enix, the following restrictions apply to free trial accounts:

Players are limited to one character per world, with a maximum of eight characters in total.
Class or job levels are capped at 70 for free trial accounts.
Players cannot accumulate more than 300,000 gil, the in-game currency.
Communication features such as "shout," "yell," and "tell" are disabled during the free trial.
Access to the in-game market board is restricted, meaning players cannot buy or sell items through this system.
Trading with other players is not allowed during the free trial.
The in-game mail system and moogle delivery service are unavailable.
Retainers, which are used to store and manage items, cannot be hired.
Linkshells and Cross-World Linkshells can be joined if invited, but new ones cannot be created.
Free Companies, which are in-game guilds, cannot be created or joined.
Players cannot form parties or assemble groups using the Duty Finder, though they can join if invited.
Participation in PvP events such as The Feast (Ranked Match) or The Feast (Team Ranked Match) is not allowed.
Access to the Lodestone, the official forum, and the Companion app is restricted during the free trial.

With the addition of Stormblood, ultimate raids have been introduced to the game. However, these raids are not accessible to free trial players.

Community-Identified Limitations

In addition to the official restrictions, the community has identified a few unofficial limitations that are not explicitly stated by Square Enix:

If there is a queue on a player's world, free trial accounts may be deprioritized in favor of full game accounts.
Players who have previously purchased the game, even if they no longer own the account or have not cleared the content included in the free trial, cannot revert to a trial account.
Certain in-game features may not be available if the player's account is not upgraded to a standard account.

These limitations are based on user reports and have not been officially confirmed by Square Enix. However, they are commonly cited in community discussions and should be considered when planning gameplay.

How to Download and Start the Free Trial

To begin the free trial, players can follow these steps:

Visit the official FFXIV website or the Steam page for the free trial.
Create a Square Enix account if one does not already exist.
Download the game through the official launcher or the Steam platform, depending on the preferred platform.
Launch the game and follow the on-screen instructions to create a new character and start playing.

Players who prefer to play on PlayStation should note that the free trial is locked to the platform on which it was first accessed. For example, if the trial was started on Steam, the same account and character will not be available on PlayStation, and vice versa.

Free Trial vs. Free to Play

It is important to note that the free trial is not the same as a "free to play" model. Unlike many free-to-play games that allow players to access core content at no cost while monetizing through microtransactions, FFXIV's free trial is a limited-time access to a portion of the game's content. Once the trial period ends, players must either purchase the game or continue playing within the restrictions outlined above.

Additionally, players who have previously purchased the game, whether the base game or the complete edition, are no longer eligible for the free trial. This includes players who may have owned the game in the past but no longer play it.

Conclusion

The Final Fantasy XIV free trial offers players a generous amount of content, including the base game and two major expansions. It is an excellent opportunity for new players to experience the game's story, mechanics, and world without making a purchase. However, there are several restrictions that players should be aware of, including level caps, limited communication features, and the inability to access endgame content or participate in PvP events.

Players interested in the free trial should start by downloading the game through the official website or Steam. They should also be aware of the limitations associated with trial accounts and consider these when planning their gameplay experience.

For those who wish to continue playing beyond the free trial, purchasing the game or individual expansions is the only option. Additionally, promotional events and free login campaigns provide further opportunities to experience new content and earn rewards without additional costs.