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Final Fantasy 14 has a ton for players to do. Outside of the main storyline, there are Grand Company ranks, side quests, hunts, PVP, raids, crafting, gathering, level grinding, and partaking in the Market Board economy.
There is an element of the game that is in the background of all these things to do: Free companies. These are FF14's version of guilds and are a really great way to socialize with likeminded players, whether you want to take on dungeons together, collaborate on decorating projects, or just chill!
Updated May 20, 2023: We've gone over this guide to make sure things are up to date and accurate to the current game version, as well as making sure things are readable and clear.
What Is A Free Company And What Are Its Benefits?
Not to be confused with the three Grand Companies run by NPCs, Free companies are guilds created by the players themselves. As for what they do, that is up to the players. Certain Free Companies may exist for the purpose of roleplay while others focus on running daily roulette together.
It is rare to see a player who is not part of a Free Company, as they are a major part of the Final Fantasy 14 MMORPG community. In the bubble of a Free Company, players can host their own events, contests, and they often make their own Discord servers outside of the game so that members can voice chat with each other.
Those who are part of a Free Company get certain benefits such as:
- Access to a company chest that is shared with all members.
- Company Actions that can give various buffs to all members.
- A Free Company Estate - this is not 'free' and must be purchased with gil.
- A Free Company linkshell to chat exclusively with other members.
Requirements To Make Your Own Free Company
Not just anyone can make a Free Company. Luckily though, the requirements needed to make one are easy to meet. The requirements are thus:
- Be a member of a Grand Company: There are three Grand Companies in the game, the Immortal Flames of Ul'dah, the Maelstrom of Limsa Lominsa, and the Twin Adders of Gridania. Once players reach level 20, the main story quests will lead to becoming a member of one of these companies. It is up to you to choose which you prefer.
- Get To Level 25.
How To Create A Free Company
Once the requirements are met, it's time to get started making your Free Company.
Something important to know is that if you leave a Free Company, you will have to wait 24 hours in real-time before starting your own.
Get A Company Petition: This can be done by going to one of the three Grand Company headquarters - it does not have to be your own. Once there, talk to the OIC Administrator NPC. They'll give you the option to start a Free Company.
Pick A Free Company Name And Tag: The player will immediately need to think of both a name and tag for the company. While the name can only be chosen once, the tag can be changed later by speaking to the OIC Administrator again. The tag is what appears next to the player names that are members of the Free Company and can only be five characters long at most.
Obtain Three Player Signatures: The Free Company founder will need three players to sign the petition and join as the first members of the Free Company. Invite them by targeting their characters and clicking the "Invite" sub-command.
Pay A Fee Of 15,000 Gil: The last step is a payment - and it's very cheap, considering how much Gil players typically have.
Collecting Members
Now that a Free Company is founded, it is likely you will want more members. After all, a Free Company can have up to 512 members. That's a huge maximum.
Some Free Companies zealously seek membership and even put out ads in the chat box of busy areas in Eorzea. However, there are also many Free Companies that keep themselves more private. It depends on what the Free Company leader and members are comfortable with.
Some Free Companies just stick to who they truly know and trust while others will invite anyone who is available.
The Free Company leader can give permissions to other members to invite more members. Those with that ability can invite more players to join the company. All they have to do is target a player's name through the chatbox, friends list, party members, linkshell members, a search window, or just in the physical presence of that player.
Once a player is invited to a Free Company though, it is ultimately up to them on whether to accept the invite or not.
Ranking Members
The inner workings of the guild can be complicated, as there is a lot of room for establishing a hierarchy among the players. The default rankings start as Master, Officer, and Member. However, these can be edited. The Free Company can have as many as 15 ranks.
The hierarchy of ranks is useful for establishing permissions for what certain players have access to in the company. For example, maybe just three ranks have permission to invite other members while five ranks have access to removing stuff from the Free Company chest.
However many ranks the Free Company decides to have, each rank can have a unique name. Many Free Companies like to stick to themes.
Ranking The Company Itself
The Free Company itself can level up, giving all members access to more and more benefits such as more chest space, more company actions, the ability to buy land for a Free Company estate, crest customization, and adding the Free Company crest to items.
There are 30 levels in all, and they are gained through the actions of the members. The game does not always say when experience for the rank is earned, but it does let all members know when it levels up.
Any of these actions contribute to leveling up the Free Company:
- Completing supply missions for your personal Grand Company.
- Obtaining high-quality items in while gathering or crafting.
- Completing FATES, duties, and quests.
- Getting achievements.
- Inviting members.
Free Company Buffs
Once a Free Company gets to Rank Five, they can use level one buffs. At Rank Eight, they can use level two and three buffs. These buffs affect every Free Company member and last for 24 hours (though they can be shut down early).
These actions can be bought from the OIC Quartermaster, which is found in every Grand Company office. They are bought with a special currency that is only used with the OIC Quartermaster called Company Credits. Only two buffs can ever be active at once.
These buffs can be activated in the Free Company menu.
- A Man's Best Friend: Increases EXP earned by Chocobo companions.
- Back on Your Feet: Lessens the duration of Weakness after being revived.
- Brave New World: Increases the attributes of all Disciples of War and Magic players that are under level 25.
- Earth and Water: Increases EXP earned by gathering.
- Eat from the Hand: Increases Crfatmanship stats.
- Helping Hand: Increases EXP earned by crafting.
- In Control: Increases Control stats.
- Jackpot: Increases MGP earned.
- Mark Up: Increases Wolf Marks earned.
- Meat and Mead: Increases the duration of food effects.
- Proper Care: Slows the rate at which gear wears down.
- Reduced Rates: Reduces Teleportation fees.
- Seal Sweetener: Increases Company Seals earned.
- That Which Binds Us: Increases the speed of spiritbonding.
- The Heat of Battle: Increases EXP earned in battle.
- What You See: Increases Perception stats.
Free Company Housing
At Rank Six, a Free Company can purchase its own house for all the members to share. Currently, there are four and an upcoming fifth housing location in Final Fantasy 14. These are the Mist, Lavender Beds, The Goblet, Shirogane, and Ishgard.
To unlock these locations, complete "Where the Heart Is" in Lower La Noscea, Central Shroud, Western Thanalan, and Kugane. As of the 5.1 Patch, there are 5,040 plots per server. In other words, housing is quite competitive. Saving up Gil for one is only half the challenge. Most of the challenge is in finding an empty plot, especially if you are located on a popular server.
Housing Plot Costs
- Small: About three to four million Gil.
- Medium: Between 15 and 20 million Gil.
- Large: Between 40 and 50 million Gil.
Building a House
Once you have land, it is time for a housing permit. This can be done via the housing menu that is accessible while standing in your plot. Pick Estate Hall and then click on Purchase Construction Permit. Remember that what you can build entirely depends on the size of the plot. The housing cost is as follows . . . .
- Small Cottage: 450,000 Gil
- Medium House: 1,000,000 Gil.
- Large Mansion: 3,000,000 Gil.
Common Free Company Activities
Part of the fun of a Free Company is overseeing your own activities. These can be contests, races, grinds, and games. The only limit is the imagination of the members. Common Free Company activities include:
- Hide and Seek: Simple — one player hides, and the rest have to find them! Since Eorzea is so big though, it is probably best to limit your Free Company to a single area.
- Casino Nights: Turn on your MGP increasing buffs, dress in your best glamours, and have a night grinding FATEs and games at the Gold Saucer!
- Fashion Contests: Get some judges, think of a theme, and host a Free Company fashion contest. You can even side aside prizes in the form of Gil, a minion, and/or even a Mogstation exclusive item.
- Flashmob: Do a choreographed dance or play music together for other players to enjoy.
- Grind Extremes for Mounts: Get the hard-to-earn mounts by grinding Extreme trials together.
- Do Seasonal Events Together: Final Fantasy 14 has plenty of its own events that Free Companies can do together. This includes weddings, the Moonfire Faire, Hatchingtide, and more.
- Lookout Tours: Hit up every lookout point you can together, especially the hardest one — Kugane tower!
- Blue Mage Spells: Grind dungeons for certain Blue Mage spells or do a world tour of fighting open-world enemies that have spells for you and your members to learn.