This year, Final Fantasy 14 found itself nominated in two different categories for the Golden Joystick Awards–”Best Game Community” and “Still Playing.” Not only did Final Fantasy 14 win in both categories, but it blew away its competition, winning both races by wide margins.
The Golden Joystick Awards are 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.
This year, Final Fantasy 14 scored 42% of the votes for the “Best Game Community,” more than both the runner ups, with Monster Hunter Rise’s 16% and No Man’s Sky’s 15%, combined. Meanwhile, in the “Still Playing” category, FF14 scored 34% of the votes–nearly triple the score of second-place Genshin Impact. Final Fantasy 14 swept the competition by an average of 26% more votes in both categories.
Final Fantasy 14 itself has a rich history that has led it to this point. The original launch of FFXIV in 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 Reborn was released with a goal to fix the mistakes of its predecessor. Like a snowball becoming an avalanche, Final Fantasy 14 is now the most active MMORPG on the market after gaining momentum over the last 8 years.
It is no surprise Final Fantasy 14’s community scored it the Golden Joystick. Its positive, helpful, and supportive community is one of FF14’s greatest 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 the unprecedented acceptance shown for the development team when Final Fantasy 14 delayed Endwalker, 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 playing Final Fantasy 14 are newcomers. Recent drama and controversies surrounding MMO titan World of Warcraft, combined with the unprecedented success of the Shadowbringers expansion, has lead to a massive influx of new players trying out FFXIV. 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 of Final Fantasy 14 will surely be “Still Playing” the game for years to come.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5. The Endwalker expansion launches on December 7.
Source: GamesRadar