Large-scale online games can’t host their entire playerbases on a single server. Do you have any idea how powerful a server would need to be to accommodate millions of players playing concurrently all over the world? More powerful than most companies would be willing to invest in, I’ll tell you that for free. As such, most MMOs, including Final Fantasy XIV, split their game worlds up between a multitude of servers, all of which, over time, have developed their own quirks and qualities. Here are the best servers to join in Final Fantasy XIV.
Now, there are a lot of servers in this game. Let me attempt to lay this out for you: Final Fantasy XIV’s servers are spread out between eight “data centers” located all over the world; 3 in North America, 2 in Europe, 3 in Japan. Across those data centers are 68 different servers, or “worlds.” If you don’t especially care about the finer points of a server, you should just join one closest to your home region to ensure you get the best ping, but if you’re looking for a specific experience, here are a few standouts from each data center.
Best Servers to Join in Final Fantasy XIV
Aether – North America
If you’re just starting out, you should consider joining the Faerie server. It’s very accommodating to new players, and has a thriving, talkative community that’s down for both playing and chatting.
Primal – North America
If you want to get really serious about this game, join Levithan, Primal’s premier raiding server. These folks play for keeps, so if you wanna go hardcore, this is the place.
Crystal – North America
If role-playing’s your shtick, try Balmung, the largest role-playing community in Final Fantasy XIV. It tends to be a bit crowded, but at least that means there’s always something to do.
Chaos – Europe
If you’re looking for a chill server to play at your own pace, go for Cerberus. Everyone mostly keeps to themselves around here.
Light – Europe
If you’re a bit of a waffler between casual and hardcore play, the Phoenix server has a good blend of both kinds of players to hang out with.
Elemental – Japan
The Tonberry server is sort of the unofficial English-speaking embassy of the Japanese data centers. Japanese player norms are dominant here, but there are English speakers from Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.
Gaia – Japan
If you’re looking for an introduction to Japanese gaming etiquette, try the Ifrit server. You’ll need to know Japanese to communicate, but the players are well-known for being friendly and patient.
Mana – Japan
If community events are what you’re looking for, you’d love Ixion. This server regularly plays host to various community events that are open to all players, including cafes and live art draws.
