Nintendo Switch 2 owners can now trial Final Fantasy 14 free
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Square Enix has launched Final Fantasy 14 on Nintendo Switch 2, and new players can now download and play a substantial free trial covering the base game plus the Heavensward, Stormblood and Shadowbringers expansions at no cost. Players need both a Nintendo Switch Online account and a Square Enix account, though a paid Switch Online subscription isn't required, and the trial caps characters at level 80 while excluding full multiplayer features, PvP and Ultimate Raids. The rapid turnaround—announced only in late June—and generous trial content make this an easy way to sample the acclaimed MMORPG before committing.
Square Enix is also waiving subscription fees for roughly a month after launch, after which a standard 30-day free period kicks in before charges apply; a separate subscription is needed even if players already pay on another platform. The Complete Edition is discounted 30 percent until Thursday 13th August 2026, bringing the price to $41.99/£31.49, while existing subscribers on other platforms get 50 percent off. The major catch is storage: the trial download is a hefty 117.2GB, larger than even FF7 Remake and Rebirth, which could strain the Switch 2's 256GB internal storage.
- FF14 launches on Switch 2 with a free trial including three expansions
- Trial caps players at level 80, no PvP or Ultimate Raids
- Free trial download is a massive 117.2GB
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Final Fantasy 14 is a long-running online role-playing game made by the Japanese publisher Square Enix, in which players create a character and explore a shared virtual world alongside thousands of others, taking on quests and battles either alone or in groups. It first launched in 2010, was relaunched in a much-improved form in 2013, and has since grown into one of the most successful games of its kind, known for its story-driven expansions and a subscription model that charges players a monthly fee to keep playing.
Nintendo Switch 2 is Nintendo's newest games console, released in 2026 as a successor to the original Switch, offering more powerful hardware while remaining a hybrid device that can be used both docked to a television and handheld. Bringing a demanding, long-established game like Final Fantasy 14 to a Nintendo console is notable because the series has traditionally been played on PlayStation, Xbox and PC, and because online role-playing games of this scale and complexity are less commonly seen on Nintendo hardware.
Games in this genre often use free trials to let newcomers experience a large portion of the content before deciding whether to pay for the full game and ongoing subscription, since the format asks for a bigger commitment of time and money than a typical single-player title. This background is relevant because it explains why a trial offer, storage requirements and subscription pricing are significant details for anyone considering picking up the game on the new console.
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Originally published by Eurogamer as “You can try the newly-launched Switch 2 port of Final Fantasy 14 for free, right now, if you have a spare 117GB”.