Final Fantasy XIV vs Guild Wars 2
Every attribute in the database, side by side — MMOlist scores Final Fantasy XIV at 85 and Guild Wars 2 at 81, but the right pick depends on how you play.
Final Fantasy XIV
2013 · Subscription · Tab Target
Guild Wars 2
2012 · Buy-to-Play · Hybrid
The short version
What they share: a themepark world and no open-world PvP.
Compared with Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2 is more PvP-focused, lighter on crafting and less PvE-focused, with hybrid combat instead of tab-target combat and a buy-to-play model instead of subscription.
Final Fantasy XIV — strengths: Outstanding main story and music; One character can play every job. Watch out for: Slow, formulaic early hours.
Guild Wars 2 — strengths: Horizontal progression respects your time; Best mount system in the genre. Watch out for: Endgame direction can feel aimless.
| Final Fantasy XIV | Guild Wars 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Live | Live |
| Release year | 2013 | 2012 |
| Developer | Square Enix | ArenaNet |
| Business model | Subscription | Buy-to-Play |
| Platforms | PC, Mac, PlayStation, Xbox | PC |
| Combat type | Tab Target | Hybrid |
| World design | Themepark | Themepark |
| MMOlist score | 85 | 81 |
| Steam rating | 86% | 87% |
| User score | 8.2/10 | 8/10 |
| Critic score | 85 | 74 |
| Steam peak CCU | 95K | 27K |
| PvE focus | ||
| PvP focus | ||
| Grindiness | ||
| Solo friendly | ||
| Duo friendly | ||
| Casual friendly | ||
| Typical session | 1–2 hours | 30–60 min |
| Time to endgame | 100–300h | Under 40h |
| Catch-up friendly | ||
| Chore pressure | ||
| Endgame progression | Vertical | Horizontal |
| Alt friendly | ||
| Crafting depth | ||
| Guild importance | ||
| P2W perception | Very Low | Low |
| Open-world PvP | No | No |
| Full-loot PvP | No | No |
| Housing | Open World | Instanced |
| Steam Deck | Playable | Playable |
| Cross-play | Yes | Partial / N/A |
| Cross-progression | Yes | Partial / N/A |
| Update cadence | Very Active | Active |
| Best for | Story lovers; Casual players; Crafters and housing decorators; Controller players | Explorers; Players who hate gear treadmills; WvW large-scale PvP fans; Altoholics |
Pick Final Fantasy XIV if you want…
- Story lovers
- Casual players
- Crafters and housing decorators
- Controller players
Pick Guild Wars 2 if you want…
- Explorers
- Players who hate gear treadmills
- WvW large-scale PvP fans
- Altoholics
Keep exploring
Still torn? Add a third game, or let the quiz decide from how you actually play.