For two weeks, the content of the Endwalker addon from Final Fantasy XIV has been accessible to players, but not playable for everyone. Long queues at login and server errors dampen the fun for fans of Endwalker and impact the mood. However, a real shitstorm is absent.
The situation in brief:
- Since mid-2021, FFXIV has experienced a strong increase in new players. The MMORPG received a lot of attention from major WoW streamers and YouTubers in the summer, such as Asmongold, Bellular, or Preach, causing a media boom.
- Back then, queues formed at login and server issues became apparent. The developers were even forced to close an entire data center with 8 servers for new characters because the servers were overcrowded.
- The problems worsened with the launch of the new addon Endwalker. Queues reached into the thousands, and players were plagued by login errors 2002 and 4004 that threw them back to the end of the queue. Creating new characters is virtually impossible.
- In MMORPGs like New World or Outriders, such server issues have previously caused major shitstorms. The forums and social media were flooded with complaints and negative comments about the state of the servers.
In FFXIV, however, the situation is somewhat contained. While there are various complaint threads and posts about canceled subscriptions in the forums, discussions remain relatively civil. Some users even praise FFXIV for how they are handling the difficult situation.
“I had to cancel the subscription because I have a job.”
This is happening in the forums: Since the early access of Endwalker on December 3rd, there has been a split mood in the FFXIV community. On one hand, many fans celebrate the addon for its story and new boss battles. It is so popular that it is among the highest rated games on Metacritic in 2021.
On the other hand, for the past 1.5 weeks, players have been facing extremely long queues at login that dampen their mood.
Those who come home from work in the evening and want to play a round of FFXIV must first spend several hours in the queue, which sometimes exceeds 6,000 players. And it is also not guaranteed that they will be able to enter the game at the end, as errors 2002 and 4004 prevent players from being able to enter and require them to restart.
Consequently, there are numerous complaints about the server issues in the official forums and on reddit. Some players express their dissatisfaction about the long queues and that they cannot play whenever they want or have time.
[…] If I can’t play the game when I have time for it, then I have no choice but to unsub. Maybe when the rush is over, I will be able to play again. It’s very sad. […]
LanierRida in the official forums
The discussions in such threads mainly revolve around whether it is credible that all current problems are related to the semiconductor shortage and that the FFXIV team is struggling to obtain new servers.
What do the developers say? In a statement before the release of Endwalker, director Naoki Yoshida announced that there are problems and that the issues are due to the semiconductor shortage. They cannot obtain enough hardware even if they offer suppliers more money, according to Yoshida.
The semiconductor shortage is a problem that extends beyond the gaming industry. Not only major corporations like Sony and Microsoft are facing issues, but also car manufacturers who have had to reduce their production, or other industrial sectors.
However, some users in the forums doubt the credibility of this explanation. The argument is that Square Enix is a billion-dollar company that has decided to cut costs on servers and is now dealing with the consequences.
[…] The game experience in your game has been absolutely terrible since the early access of Endwalker, and I’m fed up with it. One has to plan their whole day just to get a little playtime. […] The semiconductor shortage is no excuse for not fixing the issues for so long. […]
imeanlikesrsly
It’s not a problem that can be solved by throwing money at it. They are willing to spend more money than originally planned to acquire new servers. However, Square Enix is not a semiconductor manufacturer, nor do they produce server parts. Therefore, they have to buy them. And the current waiting time, according to alternative sources, is 52 to 70 weeks. This is due to global shortages […]
Saefinn
On the other hand, another part of the players defends the FFXIV development team. They argue that the sudden hype surrounding the MMORPG was unexpected. Square couldn’t have been prepared because they couldn’t know that the surge would be much greater than anticipated.
Reassurances outweigh complaints
So it was with other games: While the mood in the FFXIV community is boiling, there has not been a real shitstorm, like those typically seen at launches of other multiplayer games.
- With New World, there were major issues with multiple server crashes and emergency maintenance, which triggered large waves of complaints.
- Diablo 2 Resurrected had issues weeks after its launch and received a lot of stress from players.
- Anthem was torn apart at release, because the infinite loading screen caused login issues.
- Also, Outriders had server issues at launch and faced backlash.
In comparison to the angry reactions from other MMOs and multiplayer games, the atmosphere around FFXIV is very mild.
This is the case with FFXIV: In complaint threads, many call for calmness and keeping a cool head. Unsatisfied players are advised to suspend their subscriptions until the situation has stabilized so that they do not continue paying for unsatisfactory service.
One does not receive the service one pays for. Therefore, it is okay to leave the game. And voting with one’s wallet is, as known, more valuable, the users say.
Honestly, if you have problems, then cancel your subscription for a month or two until things calm down. The game is good; it’s just in a situation that nobody likes, and some problems cannot be fixed until SE gets new hardware.
Raiya
Even the largest complaint thread on reddit with over 7,700 upvotes began with the words “Dear SE, can you ensure that we don’t disconnect from the queues?” A very polite request, considering the tone typically found in such situations. Reddit is often the first place where a shitstorm brews.
Especially the latest post about the server status has received a lot of support and positive reactions. In it, director Yoshida announces that players will receive another 14 days of free game time as compensation. Along with the already gifted 7 days, that amounts to a total of 3 weeks of game time that have been given since the early access of Endwalker.
Suspension of sales is insane. It’s hard to believe that a company would even think about it.
anime9102 on reddit
On reddit, many players post memes about how they may have overhyped the MMORPG. Several posts request to stop promoting the “critically acclaimed MMORPG with the free trial version up to level 60.”
Also, on social media, there is relatively calm. The Twitter post about server problems received almost 6,000 upvotes, with most comments being positive or joking about FFXIV and Yoshida suffering from their own success.
Communication and a little heart as the key to success
That’s why there’s no shitstorm: One of the reasons that there is currently no shitstorm in the FFXIV forums is that the team has actively communicated these problems long before the actual launch of the addon. Yoshida clearly explained which problems there would be, what they would be due to, and how the team plans to address them.
This transparency, and especially the continuous presence of updates that inform players about the current status of the work, have shaped the expectations of a large part of the community. Players knew exactly what to expect.
Accordingly, while there were negative reactions to the server issues, they were also raised loudly, but they were intercepted by the more moderate part of the community. In the forums and on social media, one often sees how upset players are being told to take a deep breath.
Another reason is that the FFXIV team has built a lot of goodwill with its community since the reboot of FFXIV 1.0.
- On the one hand, this is again due to clear communication. Whenever problems arose in the past, Yoshida spoke up and explained transparently why the team made certain decisions.
- On the other hand, FFXIV has often listened to the wishes of the community. For example, jobs such as Samurai, Red Mage, and Dancer were added in new addons because they were highly requested. The introduction of male Viera as a playable race was very celebrated.
With the current server issues, it adds that 21 days of free game time is a considerable amount and is perceived by many players as a generous gift and the right course of action.
Furthermore, many FFXIV players appreciate that developers behave warmly during their appearances in interviews or at fan festivals.
- The writer of the story of Shadowbringers and Endwalker, Natsuko Ishikawa, broke down in tears during PAX West when she received a huge applause from the audience.
- The composer of FFXIV, Masayoshi Soken, moved the community to tears and received thousands of love declarations when he spoke on stage at the digital fan festival in 2021 about his cancer diagnosis.
- Director Yoshida himself has been praised by both FFXIV players and many from the WoW community for asking about his mother’s health during an interview with Asmongold .
- The Localization Lead Michael Christopher Koji Fox gained significant popularity during the 1.0 version because he communicated openly with players in the forums and shared small lore secrets with them.
Thus, on the one hand, there is a trusting relationship that the developers are putting a lot of effort into finding solutions. And on the other hand, there is a certain personal sympathy towards individual people from the development team that fosters a fundamentally positive atmosphere.
What’s next: In his latest post about the server status, Yoshida confirmed that the schedule for patch releases will continue despite the problems.
On December 21, patch 6.01 will be released, introducing the normal mode of the new raid Pandaemonium. Players will farm the anticipated 4 bosses to obtain new gear and further increase their item level.
On January 4, the epic version of the raid will be released, along with several new gear sets, recipes for crafters, and the fun dungeon Euphoratron.
At the same time, work is being done on a new data center and new servers for all regions. Especially Europe and North America are expected to receive particularly extensive additions.
However, Yoshida did not specify when these additions will come. “We hope to present some sort of roadmap by the end of January 2022,” said the director.
And how about you? What is your mood and the mood of the people in your guilds? Are they annoyed and angry? Or are they calling for calm? Let us know in the comments how you view the server issues of FFXIV.
Play Final Fantasy XIV if you want to treat yourself to something nice.
