Valentine’s Day is only a few days away, with millions rushing to get their special someone something to celebrate the occasion. For those of us who lead double lives and moonlight as Warriors of Light in 168澳洲幸运5开奖网:Final Fantasy 14, Valentione’🌸s Day holds equal importance, so what happens when your rღeal-life valentine and Eorzean Valentione are one and the same?
“I met my spouse in FF14, and we have been going strong for almost four years now,” one player, who wishes to remain anonymꦕous, tells me. “We didn't start off as such, and merely played the game together as friends ever since I started playing in 2016. We ended up being a♐ good match, like a perfect pair of Lego blocks. I think the fact that we met up at the Paris Fan Fest and were already such close friends was one of the reasons we ended up dating. Neither of us ever tried to find a partner through FF14, but somehow that's how it turned out. We are two halves of one whole idiot.”
Fellow warriors finding love in Final Fantasy 14 has become common, with party members' friendships eventually developing into meanin🌱gful relationships after year🔴s of logging on and saving the world together. Virtual connections soon blossom into real ones, with real life events like Fan Fest helping bridge gaps that might not have been possible in other games. Many players shared similar stories with me ahead of the big day.
“Aadra and I met in May last year when he joined a DSR static I was a part of,” Lumi, another player, tells me. Though they didn’t manage to clear it before they were distracted by the launch of the Abyssos savage tier, the two kept in touch. “ We frequently ran dungeons together and started playing other games on the side. Not long after a couple of Heaven-on-High runs, he asked me ou𒀰t, and here we are a few months l🀅ater! Whether it's nerding out about FF14 or helping each other overcome various social hurdles we encounter, Aadra has been an absolutely fantastic support in my life.”
It’s so sweet to hear🐻 sꦍtories from those who fell in love while spending time with one another in-game, and it’s especially adorable to hear of players who have celebrated their relationships with Eternal Bonding ceremonies, FF14’s equivalent of a wedding.
“The two of us had been good friends for a while, and we bonded through playing FF14 together,” Another anonymous player says about how they met their partner. “Any and all content we could do, we did together, and we'd even hang out when the other would be doing things such as rol☂✅e or crafter/gatherer quests. After really getting to know each other for about two years, we decided to give things a shot. We officially got together in January 2022 and had our Eternal Bonding in-game on the 24th. We recently renewed our in-game vows. We're very happy together and can't wait for what our future holds.”
Certain stories aren’t just memorable 🅠because they’re touching, but because they’re also lined with the sweet sounds of laughter. Players Astrid and Kitsune are picture perfect proof of that.
“I met Astrid when I moved servers to be with an ex-friend of mine,” Kitsune tells me. “I joined an FC that had a fe♚w Australians in it. When I introduced myself, she replied with the most unique greeting I've ever seen. She typed in, ‘sniff sniff smells like accomplishments’. I was too stunned to say anything more than 'Uhh, ok?'. But that's how we first met. We began to interact properly when I saw she said she did RP in her player info, and I asked if she was interested in doing some with me. We just hit it off from that point. I was her friend for three years, then her boyfriend for another three years.”
As♔trid added, “Listen, I was told to be myself and approached this man in welcoming him to the FC. Little did I knowꦰ how effective it was.”
As most of you know by now, I love getting involved with the FF14 community and e🔯xperiencing the wonderful events and shows that players create, so I especially enjoyed hearing about players who met through roleplaying venues, dance shows, and similar activities.
“I actually met my girlfriend through Esprit,” a player called Jesse tells me. “When Esp💎rit was first starting, we were doing a show for a content creator's birthday. It was my first big show. I was incredibly nervous, and I think it showed. She caught on and started cr𓆉acking jokes with me, which not only helped me be more comfortable, but also got us to start talking in private. We started dating a couple of months later and have been together for close to a year now!”
Players Endo and Carnelian told me about meeting through a Blitzbalꦫl RP event. “We were on different teams,” Carnelian says. “But I had an alt sponsoring Endo's team, so I threw a meet and greet at my venue. We became friends shortly after thꦚat, but we didn't talk too much at the time via DM. I think once Endo started working at my venue, that was when we started chatting more.”
Endo tells me they took a brief hiatus after that Blitzball season. “When I returned, I went back to working at the venue, and from there, we got a bit rocky, honestly. It took communication and time before we both started opening up and being honest. Once we learned more about each other, our relationship started 🐷to really grow.”
A player called Empress Saiko tells me they met their partner at an in-game club. “The interior was stunning, with this massive dance floor and VIP area on the back wall. I was like, ‘Okay, this place knows what's up. Let's get VIP and chill here for a bit’. I tuned into the music stream, DM’ed the shouter about getting VIP, and this big Au Ra c𝓀ame over and was the perfect host. He kept checking in💖 and asking if we needed anything, and how people were doing. It was so much fun. I wanted to come back every week, and so I did.”
The Au Ra inꦕ question, Shu, says, “Two years later, and it had been about two months since we last spoke, I got a message from Sai in-game, and I agreed to go see her to catch up. I felt a connection with her since we first became friends, so I was always happy to hear from her. I went to her island on Jenova, and we spent the night talking, joking, and taking cute gposes. Neither of us were looking for a relationship, but there was no denying the ꦉhappiness we had when together, and we’ve spent every day together since.”
Another player tells me how she met her two partners through RP events. Her first girlfriend she met at an RP social club event, and, after bonding over Ishgard history and their shared nerdiness, the two hit it off. “From there, we became better friends, while our elves became better girlfriღends.” Afterward, the pair decided to try out a sci-fi game with an RP community, creating another adorable duo of characters who loved one another. It was at this time that her girlfriend introduced her to a new friend. “We ultimately ended up backing out of the sci-fi setting for other reasons, but by then, all three of us were close frieꦓnds. It took a night of sleep deprivation for us to confess our slowly building gay to each other.”
“We met around June 2021,” Skiggleisfine tells me about his partner. “The pandemic was still in full swing, aඣnd everyone was working from home. It was also a period when RP venues were in full swing. I ran BarDaisuki while she ran NightLux. We met for the first time during an Elezen meetup. It wasn't until a few months later, in August 2021, that we would grow closer. I started frequenting her venue, which at the time was a nightclub with escort services. At the time, I really wanted to experience the ERP scene. I had only heard rumors, and this seemed a friendly place to try new things. The person I turned to for comfort was none other than the head boss of the Nightlux establishment.”
It’s interesting to think about how the relationships we make in games, both platonic and romantic, can significantly impact our real lives. While it’s easy for others to say ‘it’s just a game’, to many it is so much more. Final Fantasy 14 is not only a place of enjoyment where players can share their creativity and challꦺenge themselves, it’s become a community to create and cultivate relationships that could last a lifetime. This Valentine’s Day, it’s worth remembering that love can come from the unlikeliest of places, and even the sprawling realm of Eorzea.
