Final Fantasy Fans Will Want To Mark Their Calendars For April

2 hours ago 5

An elf with white hair looking annoyed while a man with white hair stands behind him staring at the same thing off-screen in FFXIV

Published Feb 22, 2026, 7:01 PM EST

Austin King is the Senior Editor of Gaming at ScreenRant and has been with the site since 2020 with a focus on RPGs and tabletop games. He previously managed content for Geek to Geek Media, and has served as a writer for sites like Nintendad, Geek Fitness, and more.

In addition to his work at ScreenRant, he also hosts the Dragon Quest FM podcast and is the author of several books, including co-writing Nimbus (a #1 bestseller in 2013). His latest is the nonfiction The Dragon Quest Book, available now.

He's written about pop culture, video games, and genre studies over the course of his career. You can find him on BlueSky, X, and at Dragonquestaustin.com

As Final Fantasy fans gear up for more news surrounding FF7 Remake Part 3, the next FFXIV expansion, and anything related to an impending Final Fantasy 17, they'll definitely want to keep an eye on April this year. There's been no shortage of announcements surrounding the franchise as a whole, but fans of the popular MMO, Final Fantasy 14, are eager to see what's in store for the game next.

Thankfully, we should finally hear some news regarding FFXIV really soon. As revealed over on the official Fan Fest site, Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest 2026 will be kicking off in April, offering glimpses into the MMO's future across two days. Even if you can't attend the event, you can keep an eye on the official social media accounts to see the biggest updates and reveals as they happen.

FFXIV Fan Fest Is Coming Up Soon

Final Fantasy XIV Fan Fest will kick off in Anaheim, California, running from April 24–25, 2026. If you live outside the States, don't worry, because the Fan Fest will be arriving in Beriln, Germany, from July 25 until July 26, 2026. It'll be coming to Tokyo, Japan, starting on October 31 and running through November 1, 2026.

It's expected to be a pretty big one, since we'll be hearing news on the next major FFXIV expansion, which may take longer than usual to arrive compared to previous expansions since A Realm Reborn launched in 2013. New zones, raids, a new job, and an official title for the next expansion are all expected to be shown off this year, so it's not something you'll want to miss, even if you aren't able to attend in person.

Square Enix's MMO Could Use An Update

I was a pretty big defender of Dawntrail when it came out, but I'll be the first to admit that post-MSQ content has been a mixed bag. While recent updates have been promising, all of FFXIV could use a boost from a new major expansion releasing. A new job to experiment with is always welcome, but new zones and story are what I'm most looking forward to.

Despite some hiccups, FFXIV's future still looks bright, and I'm optimistic that this year's Fan Fest will be just what the MMO (and its fans) need. Thankfully, Final Fantasy fans won't have to wait too much longer, since FFXIV Fan Fest arrives in California on April 24, 2026. We should get some pretty nice announcements during that time.