It feels like it was just yesterday when the first adventurer stepped foot on Vana'diel, but in truth, today marks the 10th anniversary of Square Enix's first foray into the MMORPG market, Final Fantasy XI. Despite numerous trials and hardships over the years, the game has persevered and, as such, has found its way into our hearts. To celebrate a decade of service, Square Enix is re-launching the ever popular Adventurer Appreciation Campaign, spearheaded by those ever dilligent moogles from the MHMU.

Ever wish you knew how many times you were struck down in battle? Or how many times you've struck up a conversation with a Gamemaster? Then this event is for you! Of course, the moogles may have some additional gifts rather than information they're willing to dispense, so be sure to visit one of the starting cities to take part in the festivities!

We'd love to hear how you're going to be celebrating the 10th anniversary, so let us know over on the ZAM forums!

 The May version update for Final Fantasy XI has arrived! Among the content added and changed includes revisions to the difficulty of Legion, changes to Provenance Watcher for Voidwatch to allow for higher chances of gear dropping, additions and revisions to Ranger as well as jobs released through expansion titles, and new crafting recipes! Though it may not be a huge update in comparison to some of the monumental, groundbreaking updates in the past, there're changes there to please everyone!

For full details of the changes, be sure to check below the break, and if you want to discuss this version update, feel free to do so on the ZAM forums!

 Have you found that you can travel through a dense and tough to navigate zone like the areas of Elshimo without any issue whatsoever? Can you travel through Pso'Xja without looking at a map or traveling guides? Then the newest contest for Final Fantasy XI might be right up your alley! From May 18th through May 25th, players can hop onto the official Test Server to test their navigating skills, as members of the Community Team will stow away in remote zones, and the first individuals to find them will be able to receive the rare Chocobo Beret in-game item!

Want to talk about this newest contest? Feel free to discuss this on the ZAM forums!

 Get out your pens and your paints everyone, as Square Enix has announced the return of the Final Fantasy XI Fan Art contest! Similar to the previous years' competitions, this year's theme for submissions is the upcoming 10th anniversary for the game. However, unlike usual, the initial entries will be judged by the development and operation teams, and entries selected to make it into the final round will be judged by attendees of VanaFest 2012!

 Is painting, drawing, or sculpting not your forte? Then perhaps the other half of the contest, the Final Fantasy XI Fan Video contest is more for you. Like the Fan Art portion of the contest, the submissions should focus on the theme of the 10th Anniversary, and ones that make it through the rigorous screening process will also be shown at VanaFest!

Have some brilliant ideas for submissions or just want to talk about the contest in general? The ZAM forums have you covered!

 Get ready adventurers, as the next version update for Final Fantasy XI is only a few weeks away! The next phase of adjustments to tier two merit categories, Legion adjustments, and other content currently available on the Test Server is currently slated for a mid-May release, so get ready for a bevy of new content in the near future!

Let us know what you think of the upcoming version update over on the ZAM forums!

 The latest content to hit the Final Fantasy XI's official Test Server has been announced, and the words of the day are Legion and Limbus. The adjustments to Legion involve adjusting the hit points of enemies found in 18-player Legion battlefields to roughly half as much as their counterparts in the 36-player fights, making them more accessible for single alliance groups. The adjustments to Limbus involve the implementation of the new, high-level Limbus regions announced earlier in the year, with the first areas of the new Temenos and Apollyon battlefields being available for players to dive into!

Want to let us know what you think about the changes to Legion and Limbus, or just the general direction that Final Fantasy XI is going? Feel free to do so over on the ZAM forums!

 Do you feel left out that the Vana'diel Festival 2012 is limited to Japanese players only? Don't fret, as Devin and Matt, dedicated members of Square Enix's North American Community Team, will be attending to give all Final Fantasy XI players the best coverage possible! In addition to keeping everyone up to date with tweets through the official FFXI Twitter page and videos of the latest announcements, the duo will also be holding contests throughout the course of the event for fabulous prizes!

Let us know what you think about the plans for Vanafest coverage over on the ZAM forums!