Should all go according to plan, Final Fantasy XIV Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida says digital sales for the online adventure will resume near the end of this month. Publisher Square Enix temporarily suspended digital and physical FF14 sales in December 2021, following server congestion that stemmed from the launch of the long-awaited Endwalker expansion.
The login issues that plagued Final Fantasy 14 late last year and into 2022 were expected, with Square Enix preemptively issuing a statement about potential troubles. Despite the publisher’s efforts in optimizing servers ahead of time, the semiconductor shortage wouldn’t allow for the creation of new Worlds. As a result, congestion ensued across both Endwalker’s early access period and full release. And, as noted above, login issues grew so problematic that Square Enix had no choice but to cease the online title’s PC and PlayStation sales, a decision that more than likely didn’t come easily. Fortunately, it appears as though prospective newcomers will soon have the chance to buy into multiplayer Final Fantasy experience again.
Today, January 14, Naoki Yoshida penned a message to fans on Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 14-dedicated website regarding the “expansion of FFXIV’s operations.” Yoshida’s write-up notes that while congestion continues, plans to resolve login issues have slowly started to come to bear. Most notably, Square Enix plans to open digital sales to new customers on January 25 at 5:00 PM JST/3:00 AM EST. The publisher additionally intends to launch an Oceania Data Center featuring five new Worlds on January 25 (JST). Throughout the remainder of 2022, Japan, North America, and Europe will all receive an expansion of data centers, though the persistent semiconductor shortage means installation won’t begin until the summer months.
Yoshida’s post should inject a bit of hope into the Final Fantasy 14 community. Though issues persist, the developer seems optimistic that things will soon take a turn for the better. Real change will likely take shape once the data center expansions for various regions come online later in the year, however.
Final Fantasy 14 has enjoyed its fair share of success over the last few years; however, Square Enix truly hit pay dirt in the summer of 2021 following an overwhelming influx of new players. Many newcomers joined the fun amid an exodus from World of Warcraft, spawned by popular streamers who left the Blizzard title in favor of what appears to have been Square Enix’s hidden gem.
Final Fantasy XIV is playable across PC, PS4, and PS5 platforms.
