This year,Final Fantasy 14found itself nominated in two different categories for the Golden Joystick Awards–”Best Game Community” and “Still Playing.” Not only didFinal Fantasy 14win in both categories, but it blew away its competition, winning both races by wide margins.
The Golden Joystick Awardsare the second-oldest video game award ceremony in history, with only the defunct Arcade Awards beating it out. Back when the first ceremony took place 39 years ago, it was only for gamers in the United Kingdom, but it has since been expanded to allow voters from across the web.
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This year,Final Fantasy 14scored 42% of the votes for the “Best Game Community,” more than both the runner ups, withMonster Hunter Rise’s16% andNo Man’s Sky’s15%, combined. Meanwhile, in the “Still Playing” category,FF14scored 34% of the votes–nearly triple the score ofsecond-placeGenshin Impact.Final Fantasy 14swept the competition by an average of 26% more votes in both categories.
Final Fantasy 14itself has a rich history that has led it to this point. The original launch ofFFXIVin 2010 was a massive flop, causing Square Enix to literally blow up the world two years later. In 2013, under the helm of Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida,Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Rebornwas released with a goal to fix the mistakes of its predecessor. Like a snowball becoming an avalanche,Final Fantasy 14is now the most active MMORPG on the marketafter gaining momentum over the last 8 years.
It is no surpriseFinal Fantasy 14’scommunity scored it the Golden Joystick. Its positive, helpful, and supportive community is one ofFF14’sgreatest assets, especially in comparison to the toxic cultures that can form in online games. From the multitude of helpful sub-communities who create guides and art to theunprecedented acceptance shown for the development team whenFinalFantasy 14delayedEndwalker, the community’s reputation, and the subsequent Golden Joystick, is well-earned.
The irony in it earning the “Still Playing” award is that plenty of the people playingFinal Fantasy 14are newcomers. Recent drama andcontroversies surrounding MMO titanWorld of Warcraft, combined with the unprecedented success of theShadowbringersexpansion, has lead to a massive influx of new players trying outFFXIV. With a free trial including the entirety of the base game and first expansion pack,Heavensward, and with plans for at least 10 more years for the critically-acclaimed MMORPG, fans ofFinal Fantasy 14will surely be “Still Playing” the game for years to come.
Final Fantasy 14is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5. TheEndwalkerexpansion launches on December 7.
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