Choosing the Best Final Fantasy XIV Server: A Comprehensive Guide

Selecting the right server in Final Fantasy XIV can be overwhelming, especially with multiple options available in each region. In this guide, we'll help you make an informed decision by outlining the best servers for each region and providing information on what each server is known for.

Understanding Final Fantasy XIV Servers

Before we dive into the best servers, it's essential to understand how the servers, also known as worlds, are structured. Worlds are divided into Data Centers, which are groups of servers offered in a region. Players within the same Data Center can interact with each other and participate in activities like raids and dungeons. Recently, a new feature was added, allowing players to interact across Data Centers, enabling players across the entire game to play together.

The latest addition to the Data Center server list is the Oceanian Data Center, Materia. This provides players in the region with a more reliable connection to the game, allowing them to play with others closer to their region.

Data Centers and Regions

• Aether - North America
• Primal - North America
• Crystal - North America
• Chaos - Europe
• Light - Europe
• Elemental - Japan
• Mana - Japan
• Materia - Oceanian

Best Servers for Each Region

In this section, we'll outline the best servers for each region, including what each server is known for.

Best Servers for North America

Aether

• Adamantoise - Laid-back with a friendly vibe. Great for new players.
• Cactuar - Mainly endgame-focused. Large Spanish-speaking community.
• Faerie - Welcoming and helpful to new players. Highly social and talkative community. Very LGBTQ-friendly.
• Gilgamesh - Hardcore raiding community. Unofficial Reddit server. Large, congested population.
• Jenova - Friendly atmosphere, with a decent raiding community.
• Midgardsormr - Casual to semi-casual players.
• Sargatanas - Active raiding community. Home to several FFXIV streamers and YouTubers.
• Siren - Welcoming, social, and LGBTQ-friendly. Large crafting community.

Primal

• Behemoth - Hardcore endgame community. Sizeable Brazilian population.
• Excalibur - Another hardcore raiding server.
• Exodus - Casual raiding community.
• Famfrit - Laid-back and friendly to new players, like Adamantoise.
• Hyperion - Good mix of casual and hardcore players. Active role-playing community.
• Lamia - Tight-knit, cozy community. Friendly to new players. Casual to semi-hardcore raiders.
• Leviathan - Primal's premier hardcore raiding server, like Gilgamesh on Aether.
• Ultros - Polarizing reputation. Usually quiet and helpful to new players.

Crystal

• Balmung - Largest role-playing community in the game. Unofficial RP server on Crystal.
• Brynhildr - Small, quiet community.
• Coeurl - An excellent community for organizing and killing hunts (strong open-world monsters).
• Diabolos - Quiet, disparate community.
• Goblin - Quiet, with a particular reputation for toxicity.
• Malboro - A mix of Goblin and Ultros. Quiet, with a particular reputation for toxicity.
• Mateus - Another role-playing server on Crystal. Heavy role-playing bias.
• Zalera - Casual community with a decent raiding population.

Best Servers for Europe

Chaos

• Cerberus - Quiet community with many Russian-speaking players.
• Louisoix - Casual player base of all languages.
• Moogle - Large French-speaking population.
• Omega - The unofficial role-playing server on Chaos.
• Ragnarok - Hardcore raiding server for Chaos, similar to Gilgamesh and Leviathan.

Light

• Lich - It used to be a ghost town with very few players. Now much more active and lively.
• Odin - Hardcore raiding community on Light. Many Scandinavian players.
• Phoenix - Laid-back server with a balance of casual and hardcore players.
• Shiva - Large German-speaking population, with some role-playing communities.
• Zodiark - Strong Italian-speaking population.

Best Servers for Japan

Due to the sheer number of Japanese servers, we've selected the most notable ones, mainly for overseas players.

Elemental

• Kujata - A decent number of English-speaking players, usually from Australia and New Zealand.
• Ramuh - A good amount of players are from South Korea.
• Tonberry - The primary server for English-speaking players outside of North America and Europe.
• Typhon - Taiwanese players mixed with some Australian and New Zealand players after Tonberry and Kujata.

Gaia

• Durandal - Some English-speaking players, but not many.
• Ifrit - It also has relatively few English-speaking players.

Mana

• Asura - Some English-speaking players.
• Chocobo - Hardcore raiding community in Japan. Usually congested.
• Ixion - Several fun community events are open to all players.
• Masamune - Primary English-speaking server for Mana. Also home to Indonesian players.
• Pandemonium - A main role-playing community for Japanese players.
• Shinryu - Very Japanese-centric community with little-to-no English-speaking players.

Best Servers for Oceanian

Materia

• Bismarck - Many New Zealand players have flocked to this server.
• Ravana - It contains many English-speaking players and is primarily a raid server.
• Sephirot - This is a mixed server with healthy balances for those looking for any activity.
• Sophia - Primary role-playing server for players.
• Zurvan - Like Sephirot, there's a healthy balance for all players.

Best City for Socialization

Limsa Lominsa, the city-state situated by the sea, is the best place for socialization. It's usually packed with many players hanging out together at all times.

What are Preferred Worlds?

When a world's population count is smaller than average, they'll sometimes get what is known as preferred status. This means that creating a new character on any of these worlds gives you special bonuses, including the Road to 80 buff, which gives you double experience on everything, including jobs.

Final Fantasy XIV has a positive reputation for its community, with many friendly players who are often willing to lend a helping hand. Pick the server that sounds best for you and enjoy your gaming experience.