Square Enix has announced that their MMORPG, Final Fantasy XIV, has exceeded 10 million players, and making it a strong rival to the MMO juggernaut World of Warcraft.

While the 10 million-player figure may surprise people, especially when you consider FFXIV to be a subscription based game, the 10 million figure does include free-trial accounts. The inclusion of the free-trial users most likely skews the figures, making it difficult to know how many people pay the monthly subscription of €10.99 to €12.99 per month.

With all that said, I can see why Square Enix might include Final Fantasy XIV free-trial accounts, as the game’s free trial offers all available content up to level 35, create up to eight playable characters, and experience the different playable races, classes, and jobs with no restrictions on playtime.

If you are interested in my thoughts on Final Fantasy XIV, check out my review of the game’s latest expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood.

For more information on Final Fantasy XIV, visit http://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/.