FFXIV Pre-order Code and Launch Details

FFXIV Pre-OrderFFXIV launches into the final phase of beta on the 16th for previous testers, and the 17th for everyone else.  Characters created during this beta phase will carry over to launch, so as you can imagine people are considering this the soft launch.  There’s just one problem: I have no idea where to enter my FFXIV pre-order code!  I think I found an email amazon sent me with a “promotional code.”  I assume this is my pre-order code.

I went to the Pre-order page, but sure enough it just wants to email me when I’ll be allowed to enter my code.  I assume that’s it? (I’m doing a lot of assuming) I took to Twitter hoping to find more information, and a few people told me to go to the Square Enix Account Section (which I think they refer to as “Service account”).  Sure enough there’s a section under Select Server > FFXIV to redeem a code but it is currently unavailable.

Being totally confused about how a launch will work has to be one of the worst feelings, especially if you’re like me and want to jump in the game the second it becomes available.  I’ll just have to live with it for now, unless any of you can help clarify the details for me.

To add to the confusion, we had to figure out that Graev apparently doesn’t qualify for early access to the game.  He pre-ordered the collectors edition of the original FFXIV but all that means is he gets 2 free weeks and doesn’t have to rebuy the game.  I guess playing in the head-start is reserved for “legacy” members who played the original for 3+ months.  I don’t get why he can get the game for free, 2 weeks play free, but not the head-start.  Now we’re left trying to figure out if we can pre-order off Amazon then cancel the pre-order yet retain the head-start key.  Thoughts?

On to the details I know!  Our gaming community will be playing FFXIV.  We have somewhere between 12-15 people ready to go already, and we know we’ll be growing even more after launch.  If you’re interested in joining our Free Company (Guild) then head over to our forums to enlist.  The leadership for our FFXIV chapter is hard at work already planning ways to bring players together to have fun and get the most out of time spent playing.

I hope I can figure out a way to get Graev into the head-start, and that the rest of this beta and launch go smoothly.  Do us a favor and share any details you find about redeeming codes, and be sure to share any tricks to help get Graev some head-start access.

Green Man Gaming: 25% off FFXIV. Code: GMG25-OGRUH-7SM8H
FFXIV on Amazon: $5 Amazon Credit w/ purchase of digital version.
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  • Square Enix have cooked up a registration and account management system so confusing as to be almost unusable?

    What a remarkable and surprising development. I’m sure nobody who ever played FFXI would have predicted this turn of events!

    😀

  • @Darkstyke: Good to know. Frustrating. I might have to try pre-ordering from Gamestop for $5 just to get the code.

  • I have went back and forth about A Realm Reborn. I still have my collectors copy of FFXIV along with my authenticator somewhere. Reading some of your postings has raised my interest but I remember having a nightmare of a time with their registration and so forth like you are having now so that toggles me back the other way. I might change my mind and pick it up, but most likely I will continue to just wait for EQNext or Wildstar and just read Keen and Graev to see if I am making a mistake not going ahead and getting ARR.

  • We pre-ordered the standard digital download direct from Square. I was certainly under the impression that included the head-start but we’ve received no codes as yet. After a considerable amount of googling and reading forums I found my way to a place where I was able to register our email addresses as havng pre-ordered (information that I already gave when I paid for the damn things, so why that’s necessary I have no idea).

    Today I got an email inviting me to Beta4 and I’ve just successfully downloaded the new client and that seems to be working so we’ll be in the beta, but whether or not we get the head-start remains to be seen. I did play FFXI briefly so I can’t say I’m surprised by all this but I still don’t understand why they make it so insanely complicated.

  • Sorry for the question but I’m madly confused now. Do you need to preorder to play phase 4?

  • I just preordered from GreenMan, and cancelled my Amazon order. The confirmation e-mail has a “Activation Key” section and it tells me to go to http://preorder.na.finalfantasyxiv.com/ which isn’t active yet. I imagine they’ll start letting you enter your early access keys once Phase 4 is over.

    And no, you don’t need to preorder for Phase 4, just for the early access which starts on the 24th

  • @Michael Whitt: We’ll do our best to keep you informed post-launch with how FFXIV is doing. It’s a long, long wait for EQN and a pretty good wait for WildStar as well, so that alone convinced me.

    @Bhagpuss: Apparently Square will be sending out emails with your headstart codes soon. Hopefully you get them!

    @jj Robinson: Nope you’re good.

  • I got a code yesterday in my email that allowed me to download the client for both PC and PS3. I’m not sure if this is the actual beta code though. I finally got the game registered under my Square account, but it was a huge hassle. I think the only reason it worked was because I ordered the game straight from Square. I definitely agree that their registration system has got to be the worst I have ever used though.

  • Yeah I’m 100% with you on the frustration and confusion involved with FFXIV game information. I’ve been playing games for a decade or two, and have NEVER had such a horrible experience than I have with FFXIV logins and control panels, etc. I think you mentioned playing the original, which I’ll say was the worst.

    Oh, where do I login to my control panel to manage subscriptions? What’s a square enix account? Whats a account management system login ? What the hell is crysta? HOW THE HELL DO I PAY AND PLAY YOUR GAME?

    I’ve literally spent hours trying to figure out what the hell i’m supposed to login to, and how I’m supposed to download the game/beta.

  • Keen, please keep us up to date on how much you like this game. I really feel we are in an MMO dark age. Its so bad i almost downloaded Allods.

  • Amazon now has a $5 credit plus $5 towards a future digital games download offer for FF XIV. This is retroactive to anyone that bought with the previous $5 credit.

    Taken from AmazonTony @ somethingawful forums (he’s the marketing manager for digital game sales at amazon.com)

    “AmazonTony posted:
    Hi guys!

    Wanted to drop in and let you know we’ve added an additional $5 Digital Video Games Credit to this title (PC Download).

    So now you’ll get a $5 general Amazon credit (good for anything Amazon sells) and another $5 Digital Video Games Credit (Good for any PC/Mac games we sell digitally, not good on XBOX/PSN points and subs).

    As always, let me know if this post annoys you and I won’t post stuff like this anymore.

  • Square is the absolute worst video game company in regard to account management and website design. They are literally the worst.

    It’s like their websites and account management are straight out of the pre-internet days. I’m surprised they don’t ask us to snail mail our beta applications in so they can fax us our beta keys.

    Just imagine how much more successful their games would be if people could…you know, figure out how to download and play them.

  • I too am confused. I honestly do not remember signing up for the beta test but received an email recently saying I would take part in the open beta when it arrives. I love Final Fantasy games and could see myself signing up an forgetting. Now I made a Square Enix account and did receive the code via email for my download on the PS3. I downloaded the game last night after minor difficulty (claiming my code was invalid) and left it at that. Now i’m trying to understand why I cannot get into the game. I go to log in and it show that I need my id, password, and one time password. I don’t know wtf that is. I’ve been searching for bout an hour now and seems like I have to link it to my PSN account??? I’m sure i’ve got everything ass backwards and would really appreciate some guidance. If anyone can help i’d greatly appreciate it!

  • Now i’m a little upset. I’ve finally found a contact to try to email or chat with them for guidance on getting into the game. Looks as if that’s a no go as they are closed over the weekends. Honestly this is becoming more trouble than its worth and I may not even purchase the game. If anyone could help me that’d be greatly appreciated though I’m completely lost through this whole process. I agree Square Enix needs to get their stuff together. Shouldn’t be this hard to play a damn game.

  • I still havent received anything I preordered aug 3rd.. Anyone else actually know how and WHERE im supposed im to get my code??

  • James, you don’t need a one-time password (even though it looks like you do). That’s for one of those fancy authenticators. If you just use your name and password, it should login.

    I ended up here when searching for how to find/enter a pre-order code, so none of you are alone! 🙂 I certainly hope there’s some update about this soon.

  • Hello guys,

    i was trying to find some website or a forum to confirm and ofc amazon support isnt helping me at all, long story short.

    i pre-ordered FFXIV ARR limited edition (Digital) and they sent me a product key / promotion key, whatever u wanna name it, and when i try to register it, it keeps telling me its invalid, is it invalid coz they havent released the early access codes yet? or something wrong with the code i received from Amazon?

    can someone please help me and confirm?

  • Thanks this page really helped ease my mind. I ordered digital from the SE store, I still have yet to receive a single email (not even an invoice). Of course that makes me worry, anytime I’ve ever pre-ordered I’ve gotten the codes straight away. It eases my mind that other people are having the same issue, though I am in no way happy about it ;( Hope we get all get our codes soon!

  • I pre-ordered the digital from the Square-Enix store, and received an email with an 18 digit code. I am assuming this is the pre-order early access/bonus code. Will we also received a different code for the “actual” game to link to our SE account or is this ’18 digit code’ the pre-order bonus code & game code?

    The reason why I ask is, my buddy who bought the original FFXIV will get ARR for free, but he is not a legacy subscriber; he really wants in on the early access, and have asked for my code. Being the good friend that I am, I’ve told him I will pass it on to him, however I wanted to make sure I can still get a ‘code’ for my purchase and be able to play the game when it launches on the 27th. I am hyped for the game, but I can definitely wait it out until the 27th.

  • Well today is the 20th, I went to the website, tried to use my code, and appears this

    “Error 3: There was a problem. Please try again later”

    I spent my money early to buy the game and to have early access, I hope I can login 24th or I’m gonna be really pissed off Square Enix

  • I have also tried putting in my code today and I have gotten the same error as you sick. I think we have to wait for another e mail that says your good to use your code.

  • I am in tears right now after several days of trying to contact Square Enix via email, only to have all of my tickets closed before they even contacted me. I would get the confirmation and then closure emails, but that is all. So today I decided I’d chat with someone. I started waiting at noon and finally got to someone around 3:15pm. The person was obviously sick of FFXIV:ARR questions, but that just means that they are bad at putting out information. He took his frustration out on me, being purposefully vague and then condiscending when I would try to confirm my undertsanding. THEN I was typing a longer question and he said, “It appears you have no other issues you need assistance with. If this is incorrect, please come back to the chat and I will be happy to assist you.” But you can see each other typing on the chat thing, so he was just being a jerk. Anyway, I don’t want to play through SE, but I want to play so badly. I am hurt and upset and confused. I have played FFXIV since the alpha phase of version 1.0. I stopped playing to finish my PhD and now I’m back, right in time for rerelease, and I have had nothing but negative experiences up until now.

  • I still have not received any codes or emails, Anyone else? From what I’ve been seeing the people who have received codes are getting an error when they try to redeem them.

  • Hey guys,

    There has been a lot of confusion the last few days regarding early access, legacy, non-legacy, beta, social accounts, etc. I came across this site and wanted to provide some details on my experience; hopefully it will help others who find themselves in the same situation.

    For starters, I purchased FFXIV 1.0 but did not subscribe for 3+ months. Therefore I am able to download and play ARR at launch for free until Sept 9th (I may be wrong on that date). After Sept 9th, I must pay the standard monthly fee like everyone else. Legacy subscribers (people who purchased 1.0 and paid for 3+ months) apparently have a cheaper monthly subscription.

    I participated in beta phase 3 & 4 and like many other non-legacy players I am not able to take part in early access. Being the impatient person I am, I went to my local GameStop and preordered the game for the EA code.

    I received a “pre-order” code on my receipt. I then, like everyone else, spammed the pre-order website. I am also one of the many people who ran into the “Error 3” message. I read a bunch of forums and it was a widespread issue. I tried again this morning and still ran into the error. THEN I tried on another computer and was able to enter my pre-order code.

    That pre-order code then gave me and activation code. This activation code, when entered, is linked to your actual Square Enix account. It allows early access as well as the two pre-order items.

    On Tuesday’s launch, I will return to GameStop to pick up the physical copy that I preordered. I assume the game key that comes with the physical copy will be completely separate and unlinked from my 1.0 account with early access. Thus, I will be able to give it to a friend.

    TL;DR Take Aways:
    – I am a non-legacy 1.0 player and purchased a pre-order code
    – Pre-order code gives you an activation code
    – Activation code provides early access and pre-order items; it’s linked to the account you log into before entering
    – If you continue to get “Error 3” on the pre-order page, either clear your cache and re-log in or try another computer/browser.

    Sorry for the wall of text. I just hope this information is able to help some people.

  • If you’re still getting an error trying to put the code in, try this:
    this has worked now for a number of folks

    “What finally worked for me was editing my profile settings. Basically, after going to the pre-order code entry site and picking your language, it asks you to log in. After you log in (you may need to fill in some information) it’ll take you to the code entry page.

    Instead of entering the code, I clicked my newly chosen handle in the upper right corner of the page. That displayed a drop down, and I clicked the “My Profile” option. That took me to the profile details page.

    I filled in the information there and noticed that my language was set to English (UK). I changed that to English (US), saved my information, went back to the pre-order page, and was able to enter in my code without any problems.”

  • Thanks Dave! That worked for me and I was finally able to input the code.

    People may think it’s silly to obsess over having early access to a game, however the early access begins on a Saturday and many of us aren’t able to wait for play during the week because of school and work. I’m happy I will now get two days of game play before the work week begins.

  • So a friend of mine who pre-order directly from SE on the 30/07/13 still to this day has not yet got his key. He has emailed the support and still no reply. Should he be worried that he pre-ordered directly from SE and wont be able to play in the headstart?

  • If you pre-ordered the download from SE then you need to:
    A. Go to http://www.findmyorder.com
    B. Enter your email and last 5 digits of your credit card.
    C. Your order page will have:
    1. A download link
    2. Your product key (after you enter this you will be given a pre-order registration code).
    D. Following the download link you will be promted to create a square-enix account or log into one
    E. This is where it get’s tricky… You need to register TWO numbers here.
    1. First your product key.
    2. When you get to a page that prompts you to download the client DONT GET TOO EXCITED and miss the small print. On this page there is A second link to register your “pre-oder code.”
    When you follow this link you will be prompted to log back into your square-enix account, enter the early registration number, confirm your two in-game items, receive a “you’ve been registered notice,” return to the download page and THEN download your game client.

  • I did my preorder from gamestop, as I could not remember if I had my original FFXIV script for at least 3 months, and wanted in the early access. For people who did the preorder from Gamestop, you have to download the Gamestop App. Once you log in you will see your games you have ordered hover over the FFXIV-ARR game it will have a spot for product Key, copy this key, then go log into your SE account, try the code there first, if that doesnt work enter your code here, http://preorder.na.finalfantasyxiv.com/ if you are NA that is. it will give you a Congratulations, your pre-order key has been accepted. This will also link the game to your account, and send you another email with the early access code, and instructions on redeeming it.

  • I lost the promotional code that came on the receipt with my preorder and I lost the receipt and now I can even play at all.
    :[