Final Fantasy XI Console Versions to End in March 2016

Get ready to say goodbye to the Galka, Tarutaru and the rest of Vana'diel, as one of the first MMORPGs to hit home consoles, Final Fantasy XI, will close up its doors on Xbox 360 and PS2 in March 2016.

In terms of console-based MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XI was one of the first. The combat-oriented areas of Phantasy Star Online opened the door for online RPG co-op gameplay in 2001 on the Sega Dreamcast and Everquest Online Adventures' shaky launch in Feb. 2003 was where the MMO-aspect came into play for Western RPG players, but Final Fantasy XI's Nov. 2002 launch in Japan was where the MMORPG scene really made its mark on home consoles. Final Fantasy XI didn't hit North America until Oct. 2003 for PC, with its March 2004 PlayStation 2 release packaged with the underutilized PS2 Hard Drive. Since then, Final Fantasy XI has had its own population of loyal fans who didn't even move on to its successor, Final Fantasy XIV, which was met with widespread negative responses until it was re-launched as FFXIV: A Realm Reborn. 

Now, Square Enix is closing its doors on the beloved console MMORPG, Polygon reports. The House of Ramuh has ruled that it will close the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 versions of FFXI by March 2016. Fortunately, PC gamers will still be able to play. Those who are still playing on the console versions will be able to access and play their accounts via the PC edition just as they always could. Starting in May, the 'Rhapsodies of Vana'diel' event will start in FFXI, acting as the grand conclusion for the MMORPG and tying together the major events of the game's past 13 years. This free DLC will be released in three chapters, with the final part likely debuting in late 2015 or early 2016 before the console versions close.

Square Enix is also working with Nexon Korea to make a version of FFXI available on mobile devices in North America, Europe and Asia. We're not sure why Square Enix would bother doing this if they're making the final end-game product for FFXI and not just make a mobile version of FFXIV for players to use for chatting and trading.