For months now, I’ve been watching the Final Fantasy 14 community prepare for the first Fan Fest of 2023, which is taking place in Las Vegas this coming weekend. You can be assured that my social media feeds and relevant Discord channels have been abuzz with players preparing their cosplays, making cute little cards and gifts, and generally sharing in their collective excitement.
I’m happy for them all, of course, but also find myself suffering from a severe case of FOMO. I’ll be watching the events unfold from the comfort of my own home and keeping up with the news, but it’s not the same as actually being there and experiencing it firsthand, where I can only imagine the community spirit and nerdy atmosphere will be palpable. There is one thing I am not envious of, though—the heat is apparently unbearable in Las Vegas right now, so I hope everyone is staying hydrated and taking care of themselves.
I’ve seen some gorgeous cosplay appearing on Twitter, including hilarious little accessories such as quest icons or markers to wear above your head. Much like how the community goes above and beyond in-game, they’re channeling that very same energy into the real world. Fruity Snacks of the Eorzean Aquarium arranged a meet up at the Las Vegas Mandalay Bay Aquarium for like-minded fish fans, and many attendees are creating FF14-themed stickers and cards to share with one another as things come around.
Dawntrail looks incredible. The keynote speech was jam-packed full of tasty morsels, from throwbacks to older Final Fantasy games to long-awaited additions like the Xbox port. We caught a glimpseat the future graphics update, with Yoshida-san showcasing Dawntrail screenshots to show us just how detailed and in-depth the environment looks — they were beautiful. It will be a refreshing change of pace to start a brand new story arc and explore a new location that’s less industrialised and aimed at giving our Warriors of Light a much-needed vacation.
The problem with seeing shiny new things is that I always want them immediately, and it’s going to feel like the longest wait ever until summer next year, but then I (like many fans) am a pretty impatient person. At least I can spend my time debating which clue a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles t-shirt gives as to what one of the next jobs will be.
My only consolation is that I will be attending the London Fan Fest in October, which still feels so far away. Besides, no two events are alike. The announcements will be different, the attendees will be different, and so the experience will be too. Rather selfishly, I wish I could attend them all, as impossible as that is. I know I will absolutely love every minute of the London Fan Fest, and then inevitably, the FOMO will come back around to haunt me when the Japanese Fan Fest is held.