Square Enix has debuted a new website in preparation for Final Fantasy 11’s upcoming 20th anniversary next year. The website, called We Are Vana’Diel, is available in both Japanese and English and will serve as a countdown of sorts where information about the anniversary celebration will be revealed. The game will officially turn 20 on May 16, 2022.
In a post presenting the website, Final Fantasy 11 producer Akihiko Matsui shared what fans can expect from this new endeavor; “We wanted to create a continually enjoyable website with engaging features in which adventurers partake. Our goal is to retell the history of those who have adventured with us over the last twenty years, to serve as a beacon of inspiration for new and returning adventurers to set forth on journeys of their own.”
Matsui continued to explain that the name, “We Are Vana’Diel” represents all those that have contributed in some way to the Final Fantasy 11 world. From the Development and Operations Teams behind the scenes, to the adventurers that spend hours within the game, this anniversary, and website, will be a celebration of everyone.
The website consists of three parts; “We Remember Vana’Diel”, “We Discuss Vana’Diel”, and “We Illustrate Vana’Diel”. In “We Remember Vana’Diel” there is a chronological timeline of Final Fantasy 11 for everything that has occurred since the beta test era to the present day. Throughout the timeline, there is some exclusive commentary that gives fans a look at what was going on behind the scenes during some of the game’s biggest events. One of the goals that Matsui has for this timeline is to eventually incorporate events as viewed from the player’s perspective.
The “We Discuss Vana’Diel” section is where Matsui will conduct interviews with some very special guests. Currently, the website holds a conversation between Matsui and Hiromichi Tanaka, the original producer of Final Fantasy 11 from 1999 to 2012. This is a four-part interview that discusses how Tanaka started the FF11 project, how the Development and Operations teams were created, and his overall mindset as a game producer.
Finally, “We Illustrate Vana’Diel” is a collection of official artwork and illustrations from the game. As the art for the game has never been displayed in a centralized location before, Matsui wanted to collect as much official art for the game as possible and share it. This section will eventually be sectioned into several categories with some rare pieces added that have never been displayed before.
Sounds like the 20th anniversary for Final Fantasy 11 is going to be a big one and a welcome event after the recent news of the game’s mobile remake being cancelled. To stay on top of updates and to get some exclusive content, make sure you check out We Are Vana’Diel as the big day draws closer.
