Final Fantasy XIV Server congestion has been a huge issue for the player base lately, and you probably won’t be surprised to find that the culprits are, in part, the hardships introduced by the covid-19 pandemic.

In one long blog published this morning, Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida acknowledges the long wait times players have when trying to log into the hugely popular MMO, in the same way the measures taken by his team to reduce congestion. And while kicking inactive players is sure to help, the people relaxing at Limsa Lominsa are just part of a bigger problem that will not be resolved overnight.

Yoshida goes on to explain that Final Fantasy XIV data centers in North America significantly improved their performance on July 16, which increased the number of concurrent connections by 18,000, but that still was not enough to avoid the wait times the following weekend . Smaller server upgrades are planned for European data centers in the “immediate future”.

“The team is currently working hard to optimize existing servers with the goal of increasing caps, even to a lesser extent, and will strive to make continuous adjustments and improvements while maintaining the stability of the game, ”Yoshida adds.

However, like everything else these days, the state of the world does not Final Fantasy XIV all favors. The covid-19 pandemic has thrown two very big hurdles in Square Enix’s path, according to Yoshida.

First, the continuing chip shortage caused by an “extreme drop” in semiconductor production makes it difficult to purchase servers, especially for a company with such huge needs as Square Enix. And second, global travel restrictions have made it difficult for the server infrastructure team to visit data center sites and assess their challenges, although that may ease when employees start getting vaccinated.

“As a producer, the responsibility of not being able to predict the current influx of new players lies with me,” Yoshida continues. “The days before an expansion launch are meant to be days of excitement, but instead they caused grief to many players, and for that, I personally am extremely sorry. We are aware of the burden we have placed on our player base and are working diligently to alleviate it in the weeks and months to come. We will continue to develop measures to combat server congestion and keep you informed of all developments in this area. “

The next big Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Endwalker, is slated for release on November 19. Added content is sure to bring with it an influx of new and returning players. An experience as positive as the one I had with the community during my stay playing and covering the game, I do not envy the position of Square Enix which led to the verylaunch planned a bit.

Final Fantasy XIV Server congestion has been a huge issue for the player base lately, and you probably won’t be surprised to find that the culprits are, in part, the hardships introduced by the covid-19 pandemic.

In one long blog published this morning, Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida acknowledges the long wait times players have when trying to log into the hugely popular MMO, in the same way the measures taken by his team to reduce congestion. And while kicking inactive players is sure to help, the people relaxing at Limsa Lominsa are just part of a bigger problem that will not be resolved overnight.

Yoshida goes on to explain that Final Fantasy XIV data centers in North America significantly improved their performance on July 16, which increased the number of concurrent connections by 18,000, but that still was not enough to avoid the wait times the following weekend . Smaller server upgrades are planned for European data centers in the “immediate future”.

“The team is currently working hard to optimize existing servers with the goal of increasing caps, even to a lesser extent, and will strive to make continuous adjustments and improvements while maintaining the stability of the game, ”Yoshida adds.

However, like everything else these days, the state of the world does not Final Fantasy XIV all favors. The covid-19 pandemic has thrown two very big hurdles in Square Enix’s path, according to Yoshida.

First, the continuing chip shortage caused by an “extreme drop” in semiconductor production makes it difficult to supply servers, especially for a company with such huge needs as Square Enix. And second, global travel restrictions have made it difficult for the server infrastructure team to visit data center sites and assess their challenges, although that may ease when employees start getting vaccinated.

“As a producer, the responsibility of not being able to predict the current influx of new players lies with me,” Yoshida continues. “The days before an expansion launch are meant to be days of excitement, but instead they caused grief to many players, and for that, I personally am extremely sorry. We are aware of the burden we have placed on our player base and are working diligently to alleviate it in the weeks and months to come. We will continue to develop measures to combat server congestion and keep you informed of all developments in this area. “

The next big Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Endwalker, is scheduled for release on November 19. Added content is sure to bring an influx of new and returning players. An experience as positive as the one I had with the community during my stay playing and covering the game, I do not envy the position of Square Enix which led to the verylaunch planned a bit.