FFXIV – Endwalker Server Queues Force Square Enix to Stop Sales and Offer New Free Trials
Two weeks after the launch of Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XIV continues to experience login problems, long queue times, and other server issues. Square Enix’s team has been trying to address the problem by increasing the queue lobbies, and noting some of the causes of server errors. Players are still experiencing queues of up to an hour during peak hours, with error code 2002 threatening to increase that number.
Even worse, this evening saw players not able to log in to the launcher for over an hour due to a hard disconnect between all servers. Square Enix determined that the disconnect was caused by a “server hardware issue” which has been fixed.
a Statement This evening, Naoki Yoshida, FFXIVcreative Director and Lead Producer, addressed the long queue times.
Suspended Sales of FFXIV
Yoshida first noted that the team offered seven days of game time free of charge due to the rough early-access period. This amount has been increased with an additional 14-day extension.
Yoshida states in The Lodestone post that “This will apply for all players (including those who have multiple accounts) who own and have an active subscription as at Tuesday, December 21st, 12:00 AM (PST), which marks the scheduled release date of Patch 6.01”.
Square Enix will temporarily stop the sale of FFXIVentirely in an extreme move. Square Enix will not be sending any more copies to retailers, and digital sales will also be halted. “These temporary suspensions will gradually be implemented over the next few hours as we work closely with our retail partners. Yoshida says that while we will coordinate with them as quickly as possible, it will be a slow process.
Square Enix also prohibits new players from creating Free Trial Accounts. Free Trial players have been blocked from signing in during peak hours. This move will also prevent any other new players from starting a Free Trial.
Square Enix will suspend all advertising related to the game due to inability to sell FFXIV and lack of Free Trials. Yoshida states that some ads will continue to be sent “due the nature of how it was set up” and asks for patience from the community.
Error Code 2002 Bug
The problem with long queue times is Error Code 2002 can see you kicked out of the queue in an instant. You could find yourself further back depending on how long it takes to log in again.
Yoshida claims that part of the problem is actually a bug. This bug was part a login-related program that was created in FFXIVversion 1. We were able to find the root cause thanks to many players’ reports and tests. He explains that we are sorry for not being capable of identifying the problem on our end. We also thank all players for their detailed reports.
This bug fix is now being integrated into Patch 6.01 which will be released on Tuesday, December 21st.
New Servers Coming Soon, with More News in January 2022
Yoshida is open about how the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the shortage of semi-conductors have made it impossible to expand FFXIV‘s server footprint. Square Enix cannot simply purchase new servers. The pandemic travel restrictions also make it difficult for Square Enix to inspect any new server hardware. Yoshida has an update, however.
He says that FFXIVservers have very high specifications. Also, adding one logical data center to a server network requires hundreds of servers. This is why we always need more time. But, we are beginning to see some progress. “In keeping with this, the Server and Infrastructure groups are working together to plan new additions. We hope to be in a position to offer some kind of roadmap by January 2022.”
Yoshida stated that the team would be adding servers to each region. This includes a large-scale expansion in North America and Europe. No mention was made of any changes to Oceania’s server region, which is scheduled for launch in February 2022.
The Raid Release Date isn’t changing
Some players are wondering if Pandaemonium, the first raid wing of Pandaemonium: Asphodelos was going to be delayed due to long queue times and server problems. Yoshida states that this is not going to happen, because a delay could have further knock-on consequences. The raid will arrive with Patch 6.01 on December 21st. The Savage version will be available in Patch 6.05 on January 4.
He explains that while we understand concerns about World First race progression and World First races, Patch 6.05 will introduce a variety of new elements such as a new Allagan Tomestone, crafting recipes, and the Excitatron 6000 treasure hunt dungeon. Many players look forward to content that goes beyond high-end tasks. Furthermore, when we consider the balance of rewards and item levels, Pandaemonium (Savage) is not available. Rebalancing these would slow down the patch release and affect Patch 6.1 and beyond.
