On April 2, there will be a split of the European data center in Final Fantasy XIV into two new centers. We have compiled an overview of the most important information as well as answers to frequently asked questions for you.
What is happening in FFXIV? Currently, there is only one data center in FFXIV located in Europe: Chaos. This is set to change in the near future.
To prevent overcrowding of the data center and to reduce loading times and lags, the existing European servers will be split into two data centers: Chaos and Light.
The new distribution of the servers will look as follows:
When will the split occur? Before the launch of the new data centers, there will be a 24-hour server maintenance.
It starts on April 1 at 11 AM and is expected to end the next day at 12 PM noon. Keep in mind that the maintenance could be delayed or completed early.
All owners of an active FFXIV account will receive one day of game time as compensation.
What does the server separation mean for me? Due to the separation of the servers into different data centers, players in these centers will no longer be able to play together in content and party searches.
For example: A character from the Moogle server will no longer be able to play or talk in-game with a character from the Odin server.
Can I switch to another server? Yes, you will be able to switch for free between servers and data centers from April 3 to April 17.
However, keep in mind that transferring to congested servers will still not be possible. Although there are currently no locked servers, this could change at short notice.
The usual restrictions regarding server switching will not apply. You can:
- Take all your money with you. There is only a limit of 999,999,999 Gil.
- If you have to give up your house during the switch, you will be refunded all the money. And an additional three million as compensation for furniture.
- Apartments will be refunded with 500,000 Gil and an additional 500,000 Gil for furniture.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Server Separation
What happens to my/our house? Nothing. If you stay on your server during the separation and do not go anywhere, nothing will happen. Houses will only be lost if you actively decide to switch, for example from Zodiark to Ragnarok.
How often can I switch for free? There is no strict quantity limitation. However, keep in mind that at least 3 days must pass between two switches on a service account. So, you cannot transfer one character and immediately after that another.
To which data centers can I transfer my characters? To any. Your FFXIV account is not bound to a data center region, meaning you can easily transfer to US servers if you wish. However, transferring to Japanese servers will cost money.
Is it worth switching servers within a data center? Subjective. Starting April 23, it will be possible for all players to travel freely between the servers of a data center with the World Visit System.
If you have friends on Shiva and you’re on Lich, you will soon be able to visit Shiva easily. There will be no time restrictions for such visits.
However, if you want to be in the same FC and maybe buy a house there, you can use the time for free transfer.
Where will the new centers be? Nothing has been officially announced regarding the location yet.
Will the two new servers also go online on April 2? No, the two new servers (one for Chaos and one for Light) will be launched with the release of Shadowbringers.
Also, keep in mind all special cases in which the server transfer cannot take place, such as when the character is less than 3 days old or in the case of a name change. You can find the full list on Lodestone.
