Square Enix has announced Final Fantasy 14 has a Nintendo Switch 2 release date of August 4, 2026.

Game director Naoki Yoshida (a.k.a. Yoshi-P) suited up in Bastion armor and took the stage at Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin to confirm the news alongside a laundry list of new updates coming in the near future. While Square Enix had previously confirmed plans to bring FFXIV to Switch 2 in August, today’s news locks in a launch that’s only a little more than one week away.

Preorders begin later today, with fans told to keep an eye on Square Enix social media for updates. When FFXIV goes on sale August 4, its first month of sale will be free of subscription charges as the developers ensure server stability. After this period comes to an end, players will be required to purchase a subscription as normal.

“We knew that you’ve been waiting for this for a long time,” Yoshi-P said via translator, “so we’re very happy to bring this to you.”

Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest 2026 also allowed Yoshi-P to go back over some of the catches that come with the Switch 2 version of the game. As revealed at Anaheim Fan Fest in April, FFXIV for Nintendo fans will require a separate subscription.

Yoshi-P said at the time that the decision to require an individual subscription on Switch 2 came after “many months of discussions with Nintendo,” but it’s not all bad news. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription won’t be required to play, for example. Additionally, those who have active FFXIV subscriptions elsewhere can take advantage of a 50% discount on Switch 2.

FFXIV is only days away from its Switch 2 launch. Also revealed during the presentation was more information on the upcoming Evercold expansion, the Bastion tank role, a new Final Fantasy 7 collaboration, and more.

For more, you can read IGN’s original 8.6/10 review. You can also read about how the game rewards Japanese players for paying their real-life taxes.

Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).