Question 1

Do I need to buy Final Fantasy XI to play on HorizonXI?

Accepted Answer

No. The HorizonXI launcher downloads a complete game client itself. You do not need a retail copy, a Square Enix account or a monthly subscription — the server is free. Square Enix's official live service is a separate, paid thing that PlayBound does not sell or host.

Question 2

What era of Final Fantasy XI does HorizonXI run?

Accepted Answer

The level-75 cap era, permanently. It launched in December 2022 with Chains of Promathia content and has patched forward through Treasures of Aht Urhgan, matching a retail patch date of 17 April 2006. The premise is that the cap never rose, so later expansions get rebalanced into level-75 content rather than replacing it.

Question 3

How much disk space does it need?

Accepted Answer

25 GB free during installation, settling at roughly 16 GB once the client finishes downloading. The launcher itself is a 176 MB installer.

Question 4

Does Final Fantasy XI support a controller?

Accepted Answer

Yes, natively and well — it shipped on PlayStation 2, so the entire interface was designed around a gamepad. The Windows client handles modern pads, and Steam's listing for the retail version confirms DualShock and DualSense support.

Question 5

Can I play two characters at once, or share a house with another player?

Accepted Answer

Horizon is a single-box server: one account per IP address and three characters on it. No dual-boxing. If two people in the same home want to play, you request an IP exception in the HorizonXI Discord, and it is worth filing well in advance.

Question 6

How many people play on HorizonXI?

Accepted Answer

The server publishes its own live count — typically in the high hundreds to low thousands concurrently. PlayBound reads that figure directly from HorizonXI rather than estimating it, so the number on this page is the server's own.

Question 7

What has HorizonXI changed from the original game?

Accepted Answer

Deliberately little, under a policy it calls Era+. Movement speed 40, 1.0 experience and crafting rates, equipment scaling disabled, era-accurate drop rates and Treasure Hunter. Jobs get light adjustments intended to push each toward its own identity so all fifteen are viable. New experience camps exist but are undocumented on purpose. No Trusts, no home-point warps, a player-stocked auction house, and claim shields on prominent notorious monsters.

Question 8

Is HorizonXI affiliated with Square Enix?

Accepted Answer

No. It is an unaffiliated volunteer project, and its own site says so. All Final Fantasy XI content and images remain Square Enix's. That also means it runs at a publisher's discretion, which is a risk worth knowing about before you invest months in a character.

Question 9

Does Final Fantasy XI have multiplayer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Final Fantasy XI has multiplayer. Its multiplayer runs through the game's own online service or menus, so PlayBound Connect parties and PlayBound dedicated servers are not available for it. The game can run its own dedicated servers. There is no subscription and no paid multiplayer tier.

Media

Final Fantasy XI