Credit: Unsplash
Endwalker is so popular, Square can’t keep up.
The newest expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, Endwalker, has only been out for about a month, but in that short time, it has become the biggest thing since sliced bread. Everyone who’s anyone is trying to get on and experience the game’s wide new spate of content, from cosmetics to quests to cutscenes. However, notice the operative word in that last sentence: “trying.” Endwalker is so immensely popular, that many people can’t even get online to play it. In-game worlds reach their max player capacities almost immediately every morning, and the queues to wait for a turn can last as long as several hours. People have been logging in first thing in the morning just to wait the entire day for a chance to play.
Square Enix said prior to the launch of Endwalker that they had an inkling things were going to be intense and took measures to address it, beefing up their servers and advising players that there may be a long wait. However, it wasn’t enough; Square’s servers can’t handle the sheer number of players trying to get in. In order to get things under control, Square is opting for a nuclear option, at least temporarily.
Today, Final Fantasy XIV‘s producer and director Naoki Yoshida, affectionately known as “Yoshi-P” by fans, announced that Square will be temporarily suspending all sales of Final Fantasy XIV.
Final Fantasy XIV is so popular that Square Enix have had to stop selling it and are pulling all advertising. This is not a joke. https://t.co/c29YdrlhcM pic.twitter.com/3ytwM7yuKc
— Skill Up (@SkillUpYT) December 16, 2021
“Players are currently experiencing extremely long wait times due to the dense concentration of play hours which far exceed our server capacity, especially during the peak times, and so we have decided to temporarily suspend the sale and delivery of Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition,” explained Yoshida.
“Additionally, although those with an active subscription are prioritized to log in, Free Trial players are unable to log in outside of late night and early morning hours, and so we will also temporarily suspend new registrations for the Free Trial,” he added.
It isn’t known how long the sales will be suspended, though if it helps get things stabilized, it’ll be a wait worth enduring.
