We are nearing the end of our 10th anniversary celebrations FINAL FANTASY XIV thanks to the upcoming Tokyo Fan Fest. In fact, tonight the doors of the Japanese version of the event will open which will see the participation of many fans from all over the world, as well as special panels in which Yoshi-P and the development team will reveal what's next for the beloved MMO.
While waiting to find out what awaits us, I want to take a leap back to a few months ago, when in October thanks to the invitation of SQUARE ENIX I had the pleasure of flying to the UK to attend the Fan Fest London. I spent three days completely immersed in the world of Eorzea and I got to meet some of the people who make this game so special, starting with so many Warriors of Light like me down to the developers and artists working behind the scenes. In this article I want to tell you about my first experience with the Fan Fest, sharing it with you the memories of an event that affected me deeply.
My Fan Fest adventure began the day before the gates opened. The PR team actually organized a dinner for members of the press and content creators from all over the world so they could have the opportunity to get to know each other better before the event starts. I was there alone, but despite my being a little awkward when meeting new people our shared love for FINAL FANTASY XIV meant that making new friends wasn't that difficult. It's been really interesting learning about people through their experiences in the game, exchanging photos of our characters and discovering the different approaches each of us has to the MMO.
But that's not all, my newborn little group of Warriors of Light in fact he had the opportunity to remain speechless at the arrival of some of the iconic voice actors who accompanied us for ten years during our adventures: Peter Bramhillthe voice of Thancred, Colin Ryan And Bethan Walker, who dub the twins Alphinaud and Alisaie. It was truly incredible to meet them in person and see how they are extremely genuine people, ready to take a photo with us fans and chat about our shared love for this game. And they didn't just do it with members of the press. During the opening days of the event in fact, the voice actors were around the Fan Fest to meet all the participantstaking photos in the company of the cosplays of the characters to which they lend their voices and having fun with the various activities present.
One of the biggest surprises of the evening was undoubtedly the arrival of Ben Starrvoice actor of Clive in FINAL FANTASY XVI. As soon as we noticed this, my little group and I started speculating about the possibility of an announcement of a cross-over event between the two games, and so it was as Yoshi-P would reveal the event.”The Path Infernal” only the next day.
The first official day of the London Fan Fest began well before I arrived at the event gates. Walking around the city and in the subway corridors I started to notice lots of people in cosplay, or wearing accessories and clothes from the game, and just one look was enough to understand that we will soon face the same experience all together. Sure, I had the advantage of being able to skip the lines at the entrance thanks to the press pass, but that's another story. The area of Londo ExCel dedicated to the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV it was truly immense, and the software house managed to recreate within it some of the most iconic settings of the game. It was like leaving Earth and stepping foot into The Source, traveling to some of my favorite places in Eorzea but in the real world. From the uncontaminated nature of Gridania to the colorful Gold Saucer, each environment was extremely detailed and beautiful to admire. And with the game's music playing in the background it was a truly immersive experience.
Both days were quite intense, starting from the opening panel where Yoshi-P went on to reveal some very important information for the expansion DAWNTRAIL such as the presence of the job Vipers. We were all there, sitting waiting to find out what news would be announced, and the sense of community that was created in those moments was truly something unique. He would later also go on that stage Hironobu Sakaguchithe creator of FINAL FANTASY who not only enjoyed telling some backstory about the franchise, but enjoyed play with Yoshi-P against some of FFXIV's most iconic bosses. Seeing them interact in the game was really fun, but the most exciting moment was when Sakaguchi-san made a sort of passing of the baton to Yoshi-Pdeclaring how the developer is making the franchise he created truly unique.
There were so many events on stage beyond the developer panels, from the cosplay parade to the finals of the European championships Crystalline Conflict. But two of the truly unforgettable moments for me were the closing concerts of the two days, which saw the pianist take the stage Keiko together with Amanda Achen and from Masayoshi Soken on the first day and the band THE PRIMALS accompanied by Jason Miller in the second. We know that the soundtrack of FINAL FANTASY XIV is truly incredible, but hearing some of the songs live was truly something unique.
During the Fan Fest in London there were not only events on stage, but the software house prepared a series of activities inspired by FINAL FANTASY XIV where participants could have fun, both alone and in groups. It was a truly unique way to meet new people, taking part in collaborative games like “What's on the Menu?”, in which I had to look for ingredients for a recipe in the company of others Warriors of Lightor competitive like “Big Fish”, where you had to try to catch as many fish within the time limit. Scattered around the event there were also photographic points in which, thanks to the assistance of the many members of the staff present, it was possible to take photos in the company of Moogles and Chocobos, or holding one of the iconic weapons from the game.
The company also created a true reproduction of the Giant Sabotender's Cactpotthe participants were able to win many prizes thanks to the lottery ticket present in the Goody Bag received at the entrance to the event. There was also no shortage of other types of activities, such as the possibility of having a temporary tattoo inspired by the universe of FFXIVbuy a lot exclusive merchandiseplay in the company of other Warriors of Light thanks to the stations present and even see lots of fan art thanks to a small art gallery.
In addition to the faithfulness with which the settings and activities were recreated, the thing that really left me speechless is this the sense of community that was created among the participants. Even just sitting in one of the refreshment areas present I had the opportunity to make new acquaintances, simply to exchange some compliments on the MMO-inspired accessories worn or to comment on the purchases I had just made. All thanks to a shared love for the same game.
Personally I think Fan Fest is one of those experiences that everyone loves FINAL FANTASY XIV they should do it at least once in their lifetime. For me it was something unique, which completely changed my perception of the game allowing me to appreciate it more and confirming once again how the community of this MMO is truly one of the best. And I hope that the story of my experience can also serve as an inspiration to those who would like to participate in the future but still have doubts about it, despite the linguistic and cultural barriers if you are a fan of FFXIV this event is the perfect place for youan opportunity you shouldn't miss.
And while we wait to know when the next European edition will be held, I remind you that tonight we will be able to follow the Tokyo one live and discover all the news that Yoshi-P and the development team have in store for us!
I thank SQUARE ENIX again for the invitation to participate in the London 2023 Fan Fest.
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