Final Fantasy XIV celebrating the end of an era

Square Enix announced today the scheduled grand finale for Final Fantasy XIV.

This event signifies the conclusion of the MMO's current story and the beginning of A Realm Reborn. Character data from the current version will be saved for the last time on October 31, 2012, followed by all Worlds coming down at midnight, November 11, 2012 (Pacific Standard Time). Saved character data will be transferred to A Realm Reborn.

Also starting today, Square Enix has begun the first of four alpha testing phases for A Realm Reborn to test the fundamental mechanics of the revamped title. Each phase will consist of multiple cycles of“test and tweak. Players with an active account are invited to apply to become a tester.

Final Fantasy XIV is available now for PC, with a PS3 version also planned.