Square Enix have today revealed the dates for the final beta phase, as well as the start of the early access for people who preordered Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. The phase 4 of the beta will be unique: as long as there is no integrity breaking bugs, your character data and progress will carry over to early access and even release. Phase 4 begins next weekend on the 17th of August, through to the 19th. Early access begins on the 24th of August, where there will be no downtime between it and launch.
The news broke in the most recent producer letter, which was delivered over a live stream. It was entirely in Japanese, but there was a lovely chap by the name of Reinheart who translated it live (you are amazing).
Let’s start with phase 4. It begins on the 17th of August, however previous beta testers can play a day earlier on the 16th.Here’s some key points about this particular test:
- Level cap is 20.
- Arcanist class will be available.
- Fishing profession will be available.
- Coliseum PVP will be available.
- Phase 4 data will not be wiped, so long as there is no game breaking bugs found during the test.
There’s a ton more information which has been nicely rounded up by reddit user zibez.
After that, it’s straight onto early access starting the week after on the 24th of August. Square Enix are promising no downtime between the start of it and the official launch of the game. You can download the phase 4 client right here, but remember you will need beta access first in order to log in.