During an interview with Square Enix's Naoki Yoshida, the Final Fantasy XIV director and XVI producer has revealed that he thinks it might be better for a younger generation of developers to pick up the mantle and work on Final Fantasy XVII. 

While Final Fantasy fans have become very fond of Naoki Yoshida through his work on both FF XIV and XVI, he has implied that while the team at Square Enix have made ?no decision about a director for the next title in the series.

In the Game Maker's Notebox interview with Sony's Shuhei Yoshida, which can be viewed in its entirety here, Naoki Yoshida said:

"For the moment, I'll just say that nothing has been decided yet. That said, if I had to say something about that... I've had the chance to work on two of these, XIV and XVI, so maybe it's time for someone new, you know. Instead of having the same old guys handle the next one.�/p>

Yoshida went on to state his reasoning, saying that a younger generation would be able to make a new Final Fantasy title with challenges that "suit today’s world."

It will likely be a long time before we hear any concrete news about Final Fantasy XVII, but Square Enix is busy working on both Final Fantasy XIV, with Dawntrail coming this summer, and Final Fantasy XVI, with a new story-based DLC in the works and the PC version coming at some point. 

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We sat down with some of the minds behind the next Final Fantasy

Making a new Final Fantasy is a big deal. The series has been running for over three decades, and each numerical entry leaves its own mark. Final Fantasy XVI isn’t just a new RPG in? a long-running series, but one that has to carry a legacy?? and forge its own path at the same time.

In some ways, then, the creative team that’s been assembled for Final Fantasy XVI makes a good amount of sense. As part of a media preview event for XVI, we got the chance to sit down for a roundtable interview with f??our key members of the team: producer Naoki Yoshida, main director Hiroshi Taki, combat director Ryota Suzuki, and localization director Michael-Chr??istopher Koji Fox.

Producer Yoshida isn’t a stranger to Final Fantasy, as he and several other members of the team at this interv??iew spent quite a while revitalizing the 14th entry in the series. It was, as Yoshida tells us, why they were approached to create Final Fantasy XVI: because of what they did on Final Fantasy XIV.

“So yes, that was very difficult,�Yoshida said (via translator). “That said, creating Final Fantasy XVI, I ??think I’ve felt more pressure on t??his project.�/span>

[caption id="attachment_366089" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. A?ll Rights Res?erved.[/caption]

Turning up the action

While many names on the roster may be familiar to those who have played a good chunk of Final Fantasy XIV, Suzuki hails from a different background. With a past at Capcom, developing more action-oriented games like Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon’s Dogma, his experience falls on the real-time end of the battle spectrum. But so does Final Fantasy XVI.

As we saw in our preview, Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG in the full sense of both words. There are role-playing game elements, including a fair bit of character customization and equipment for protagonist Clive. But it moves at an action pace, as Clive doesn’t wait for active-time battle meters or flip through command menus. XVI is very much an action game, too. Yoshida says it comes from a place of asking what those tu??rn-based battles of Final Fantasy past might have looked li??ke, if they could take place in real-time.

“For example, using a spell like Stop or Freeze, how would that play out in real-time?�Yoshida said. “A??nd taking that, and takin?g something that we’ve only imagined in our heads while playing the turn-based system and turning that into real-time, is something we feel that we’ve brought to the series.�/span>

Of course, the challenge there is finding a way to appease both parties. Action-heavy games aren’t just a bit faster, but can sometimes be a bit less forgiving. This is something the Final Fantasy XVI team se??ems to have anticipated, at the very least; there are items, “Timely Accessories,�that make fights more approachable for those who can’t manage the reaction speeds or simply want to tune the frenzy down a notch.

In essence, the team wants to create something that can have a high skill ceiling, where action game players could find a challenge and a system that requires technique, while still having a lower floor for those who are new to these kinds of games. Suzuki says the team wants people to enjoy the story and get to the end of the game,? “without being frustrated,�while creating something that “feels natural�for both the action-inclined and the action-disinclined.

[caption id="attachment_366086" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights R??ese??rved.[/caption]

To ena??ble this, some of the scope had to be narrowed in on Clive himself. The player will have party companions, though they will (aside from commands issued to Clive’s dog companion) be controlled by A.I. ?Yoshida explains that by narrowing the scope, it opens up more control over what Clive can do, while also not overwhelming the player with too many things to juggle. 

“It comes down to not wanting to do things like half measures,�Yoshida said. “We didn’t want something that like, acti?on game fans would look at and it’s like, ‘You’ve spread everything out, it’s not very fun as an action game.�But we al??so didn’t want to have something that was so overwhelming to [Final Fantasy] fans that t?hey’re like, ‘Oh it’s too busy, there’s too much to do, I can’t really get into this.�And so, for that sense, focusing everything on?? Clive allows players to focus on that, and reduce that amount of stress, and not have to do things by half measures.�/span>

There are still pieces of Final Fantasy embedded in XVI. (At one point, they joke that you do always need to have chocobos and moogles.) Some elements are even more prominent than they’ve been in other Final Fantasy titles. Crystals, powerful summons, and more are all a part of the world of Valisthea in Final Fantasy XVI. But even smaller drives call towards what the team feels are important pieces of Final Fantasy. Takai references the id?ea that there is a lost civilization, and that something happened to them long ago, affecting current events. Though we didn’t get to see it in this version, Clive will be able to explore the world and see remnants of this lost civilization in the full game.

“Again, because we want as many players to get into this as possible,? not just original [Final Fantasy] s??eries fans but new fans as well,�Takai said. ??“You have to have that mixture of new and old, and we think that we have enough new as well as enough old to get both parties happy.�/span>

Final Fantasy XVI will explore some darker themes, too. In the preview alone, we see a fair bit of political intrigue and drama. Trailers show warriors fighting, blood splattering, and humans erupting into Eikons. Takai says the reason they went with that was because XVI’s developers, and th??e series f??an base itself, have both grown older.

[caption id="attachment_366088" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FIN?AL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.[/capt?ion]

“We kind of all know that the world can be a dark place at times,�Takai said.?? “And that not just showing the happy things, but showing those dark things as well, kind of again creates this balance, and also enhances the fact that things can be good. By showing that things can be bad, when things are good, it has much more meaning, and we wanted to get t??hat across as well.�/span>

Yoshida adds that he’s a big fan of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films???, specifically the way it portrays good and evil that are reliant on one another.

“You have that kind of like, that back and forth with the Batman and the Joker is that, again, it's not just pure good and evil,�Yoshida said. “It’s that because one exists, the other can't exist; without the other, the other can't exist. And we kind of wanted to bring that theme into Final Fantasy XVI as well. It's not just good and evil. There's this gray area, and that both of them feed off each other, and both of them need each other to exist, and so having the dark in there to accentuate, you know, importance of the light at the end a??nd that there is hope, is what we wanted to get across.�/span>

[caption id="attachment_366083" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY XVI ?© 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. Al??l Rights Reserved.[/caption]

Lessons learned

Near the end of the interview, I asked the developers what they felt they’d learned from making Final Fantasy XVI, as we’re nearing the June release date. For Suzuki, it was taking everything he’d learned at Capcom, a?nd bringing it over to Square?? Enix.

“It’s something that Square Enix didn’t have,�Suzuki said. “And now they do have this. And now th??at Square Enix has it, how they’re ?going to be able to use it moving forward. Hopefully, they’ll be able to take that and build on it.�/span>

“So for me is tha??t, be??cause we were creating the game on new technology for us, to be our first game on the PlayStation 5, we went into it thinking, ‘Okay, we don't want to try to do too much. Because if we try to do too much, It's gonna be too overwhelming for the team. This is our first time on it,’�Takai said. “In the end, it turned out we did way too much, and it was a lot of work for the team.�/span>

For Yoshida, he talked again about the pressure of making a Final Fantasy game. He talks about taking his experience on XVI and bringing it back to Final Fantasy XIV, as the?? MMORPG continues to grow and expand. And, as Suzuki noted, he talks about high-level action games.

“That’s something that our company hadn't been able to do before,�Yoshida said. “And that is not something that we want to just forget about now that it's done?, it’s something that we will build on moving forward.�/span>

Again, Yoshida admits, you can’t please everyone. Those who? want turn-based battles will ask why it’s action-based. Those who want an open world will ask why it’s not. And when it’s darker in theme, people will ask why it’s not brighter.

A quote that stuck with me, long after I’d left the preview e??vent and gone home, was about Yoshida and the team’s approach to making a new Final Fantasy, and what they wanted to announce. With Final Fantasy XVI, they wanted to show that this series can be “much more than just what you’ve seen in the past 10 or 15 years.�But also that the series itself has potential beyond all that, for future makers of future Final Fantasy games.

“The other thing is just, even more so than showing the players that the series can have more potential, it’s showing future developers that you can do what you want,�Yoshida said. “You don’t have to stick to what’s come before, you can make something new. And showing, again, developers the potential movi?ng forward that they can create whatever they want for a Final Fantasy game.�/span>

_{This is a special version made for media to experience, and content may differ from the final version.
Travel for this event was accommodated by the publisher.}

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The clear of a new ultimate has re-opened some old issues

The use of third-party tools in Final Fantasy XIV has been a hot-button issue for a while, and a recent clear of the MMO's newest Ultimate content has breached the topic once again. Producer Naoki Yoshida published a letter today, addressing information surrounding "concerning instances of unfair play" within the XIV community.

In the letter from the producer, Yoshida cites the controversy surrounding the recent world-first clear of The Omega Protocol (Ultimate). Ultimates are Final Fantasy XIV's highest tier of content, and the race to be the first to clear it is intense, much like in other MMOs. The Omega Protocol (Ultimate) introduced in 6.31 is the latest, and saw top-level groups competing for days to try ?and get past the hurdles and see the fight through.

Team Unnamed was crowned as the world's first clear. But soon after, footage emerged of team members allegedly employing the use of third-party tools, including a zoom hack. The video appeared on a YouTube account and soon spread around forums and social media, with plenty of ensuing memes.

"We are aware of information that is be??ing spread regarding the use of third-party tools within The Omega Protocol (Ultimate)—we are conducting an investigation on the matter, including reviewing of reports we have received, as well as self-confessions and other information," said Yoshida. "In the event that we confirm the use of third-party tools through this investigation, we will enact penalties such as temporary account suspension or permanent account bans to those involved."

Details on those punishments will not be publicly released, Yoshida says. The producer does confirm that penalties were doled out as part of investigations into previous ultimate raids.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVQtvBIdv4Y

Looking for outside help

Yoshida himself has said it before, and reiterates here again, that the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited. "This has always been the case and wil??l to be so," said Yoshida. "And unless a?nnounced otherwise, there are no plans to enact any changes."

He also goes on to address an illicit access of the post-clear cutscene for The Omega Protocol (Ultimate), using a specific exploit, and says pen?alties have been enacted in those cases too.

Yoshida closes the letter by expressing disappointment in seeing this happen again, after similar issues surrounded the clear of Dragonsong's Reprise (Ultimate). Suppor??t for an official raid race is something Yoshida says needs to be discussed internally, but in the meantime, the producer reiterates Square's stance against third-party tools.

"The ultimate raid series is the most difficult battle content within FFXIV, and we release this content after testing that it can be cleared without the use of any third-party tools," said?? Yoshida. "However, if the presumption is that this content will be tackled and cleared with the use of third-party tools, then any reason to develop high-difficulty battle content seems to be lost. It’s very difficult for me to understand as a gamer what the meaning behind using numerous third-party tools to compete to clear first would be."

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Rev up those speculations and rumors

The end of the y??ear is rapidly approaching and so, too, are The Game Awards. The multi-hour awards show is likely set to have a fair few reveals in store. And it looks like Naoki Yoshida of Square Enix will be in attendance at The Game Awards 2022.

The official TGAs account announced today that Naoki Yoshida will be at this year's event, with a special presentation in sto??re. No further details were given, but that sure does sound like somet?hing being unveiled.

//twitter.com/thegameawards/status/1597998900471?701504

Yoshida has garnered acclaim as one of the key figures behind Final Fantasy XIV. He's also the producer of upcoming RPG Final Fantasy XVI. Given The Game Awards account is singling that out, XVI seems like the most likely reason to appear.

Finally, fantasy

We did get a trailer drop for Final Fantasy XVI in October, showing off some of the action and adventure in store for this new entry in Square's long-running RPG ser??ies. It's currently aimed for summer 2023, so a date migh??t not be out of question.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih0fVVtmiB4

Whatever the case, it does seem like the next Final Fantasy is nearing closer and closer. Little tidbits and signs like ratings seem to indicate Square Enix is setting up the runway. This will be the first new Final Fantasy since 2016's brotastic road trip Final Fantasy XV, so there are some expectations and hopes in store that have possibly wavered a bit over the last few months.

Either way, chalk that up for another potential world premiere for The Game Awards 2022. The show airs on December 8, with the livestr??eam kicking off at 4:30 ?p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET.

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We get a better look at the warring factions fueling this Final Fantasy

A new Final Fantasy XVI trailer dropped today, showing off more of the upcoming RPG's massive Eikon battles and the world th??ey take place in.

Final Fantasy XVI is set in the dying world of?? Valisthea. Life clings to the remaining crystals of a fading planet, as parts o??f it wither to dust.

Predictably, different groups and ideologies have sprung up around these major crystals, and their introduction serves as the first chunk of today's lengthy 4-and-a-half minute trailer.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih0fVVtmiB4

Ranging from the ambitious and imperial to the very much cult-l??ike, t??here's a good variety. Rosaria is the bastion of tradition, while others like the Kingdom of Waloed prefer their isolation.

Truly Eikonic

Each nation looks to have its own EIkon as well. These legendary beings, whom you might recognize as longtime Final Fantasy ??summon mainstays, are ??brought forth by chosen hosts.

Joshua, for example, becomes Phoenix. We see other characters transforming into Garuda, Titan, and more. And of course, these turn into actual giant battles with, and b?etween, the powerful beings.

We don't see to much of Clive, the player-character protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI, aside from a few battle shots. We do get a good look at the combat though. And I have to say, if XVI is going more of an action-RPG r??oute, it's looking good.

Big Eikon battles look absolutely phenomenal. And even in the still character shots we get, Final Fantasy XVI is looking graphically gorgeous.

Forging a Fantasy

Producer Naoki Yoshida and director Hiroshi Takai both shared messages following the reveal of today's Final Fantasy XVI trailer.

Yoshida said the team wanted to focus more on the world than action, compared to the last trailer.

"With regards to development, the team has turned the corner and entered the home stret??ch," wrote Yoshida. "And is currently concentrating its efforts on debugging, tw?eaking, polishing, and optimization."

//twitter.com?/finalfantasyxvi/status/15??83103494285758464

"As the game edges closer to completion, the team has turned its full attention to debugging and final adjustments," wrote Takai. "Now that things are starting to come together,?? the game is ??sizing up to be something truly special."

Final Fantasy XVI is due out in summer 2023 for the PlayStation 5.

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Mods, buns, and one big sign

If you follow any account tangentially related to Final Fantasy or the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV, you may have seen some recent ?ruckus about a billboard. Maybe about role-players, nightclubs, or a wall of cat-girls.

It's been a heck of a few days in the world of Final Fantasy XIV. But for those who maybe d??on't play, or aren't so plugged into the community, we've put together an explainer of what is going on with that billboard.

Much ado about a billboard

As best we can track back, it starts with an event being held in-game by Rain Nightclub. Player housing in Final Fantasy XIV is very customizable, allowing players and Free Companies (XIV's guilds) to design all kinds of cool locales. These range from simple homes to full-on aquariums and yes, nightclubs, where players can dance and show off their fashion to DJs' tunes. You can find a great look into the nuts and bolts of that scene over at Prima Games.

The upcoming event, the Summer Bash, is presumably set to be hosted on July 9 at one of the plots on Crystal's Balmung server. Since Patch 6.18 dropped, players are also now able to move not just between servers in their own data center, but over to other data centers too. So my character, who's on Primal's Ultros, could go to Crystal and visit B??almung. The potential for more foot traffic?? gets higher with this option available.

In order to promote the event, Rain Nightclub didn't just take to social media or the in-game finder. It also bought some billboards. Two, to be exact, went up in Texas. You can find a picture of one, taken by one of the event's planned DJs in a now-deleted tweet, below (courtesy of PC Gamer):

While nightclubs often use different mediums to promote events, including Discord, Twitter, and in-game tools like the Party F??inder, a billboard is a little extra. Two billboards went live, in Austin and Houston, and two more were pl?anned to go up in California. Then the plan changed.

Sign of the times

Up to this point, this is all just a novelty. Sure, most virtual clubs in Final Fantasy XIV don't advertise events on real-life signs, but there's a spirit to this I ??can appreciate. The community, however, had some issues with it.

For one, using characters and logos from Final Fantasy XIV—seemingl??y without Square Enix's sign-off—could be problem enough.

But as Fanbyte's Linkshell details, the advertisement also utilizes some third-party tools. Someone who doesn't play Final Fantasy XIV, or doesn't stay up-to-?date on current glam trends, might not notic?e. But some of those clothes are, potentially, upcoming rewards from an event that haven't been released in-game yet.

Mods and third-party tools are a touchy subject in Final Fantasy XIV. Square Enix has been cracking down on them hard recently, sending players to an in-game jail after streaming with visible mods. XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida posted a lengthy blog about third-party tools earlier this year, sayi??ng:

"As stated in the terms of service for Final Fantaxy XIV: the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited. Players who are determined to be using third-party tools wil??l have their accounts suspended, or permanently banned for repeat offenses."

Streaming is one thing, bu??t putting it on a billboard is probably also not a great i??dea.

Additionally, Rain Nightclub reportedly advertised some erotic role-playing services. (We could not verify this ourselves, as the site is currently down for soon-to-be obvious reasons, so we're going off PC Gamer's report here.) As one Vtuber who was invited to the party points out, there's some messaging issues there.

The internet gets involved

So, at this point, the community is also on pins and needles about third-party tools. And then a billboard puts it all on blast. You can probably start to fill?? in the blanks from here.

Some of it started out in good-natured fun and ribbing. Some light-hearted, in-universe jokes and one extremely well-done meme video.

//twitter.com/Khanlusa/status/1544460746607689728

But the combination of brazenly broadcasting things that are touchy subjects and the locations where you congregate? Well, chaos ensued. Players flooded into Balmung, onto the advertised Discord, and anywhere else Rain Nightclub was.

This includes in-game, as data center travel was open for anyone to rubberneck the situation. Balmung, which already a?ttracts a lot of curiosity due to it being a notorious role-playing server, suddenly had players flocking in. Resident catigirls formed a phalanx at the Aetheryte Plaza in Ul'dah, to ward off incoming observers.

//twitter.com/valarynn/status/1544313870663155716

And t??he nightclub in ques??tion soon also saw flocks of onlookers.

//twitter.com/Pathra/status/1544533536195084288

The fallout

It wasn't long until the billboards were pulled, the site was taken offline, and everything dropped out. Speaking to USA Today's FTW, one of the club's owners Revarious said Square Enix has not been in contact with them. Rather, the billboards were taken down following the community's response, saying they didn't want to "stress anyone else in the community out about them staying up and forcing Square Enix's hand on the matter." He also claims the cost of the billboards was not in the thousands of dollars, as some have specul??ated, but hired on a day rate for "$160 total."

Revarious also expressed concern about some of the harassment, especially towards one of the DJs. "I think the worst part about all this is one of the DJs is getting attacked, and it really makes me sad," Revarious told USA Today. "She isn’t part of Rain ??nightclub or the billbo??ard design idea. We only requested her to play songs for our party."

So the community got in an uproar, servers were flooded, and everyone who uses a mod or third-party tool in Final Fantasy XIV is nervously waiting for Square Enix to do something. It's a pretty bizarre situation overall, even for the world of Final Fantasy XIV, all thanks to a few billboards.

The post A brief rundown of?? the bizarre Final Fantasy XIV billboard situation appeared first on Destructoid.

You'll still see some open-world influence though

Final Fantasy XVI may be ratcheting up the scale, but its world won't be going fully open. In a new interview, producer Naoki Yoshida discusses the design philosophy behind the world of Final Fantasy XVI, saying it won't be an open-world RPG.

In an interview with IGN, Yoshida says players might notice inspiration from recent AAA open-world RPGs. But in order to deliver the stor?y the team wants to make, it won't be one big, con?tiguous space.

"We’ve found in our extensive user research that many of the younger generation of gamers have never played a Final Fantasy or don’t have any interest in the series," Yoshida says. "To create a game that might excite and resonate not only with our core fans, but also with that new generation, we played a lot of games ourselves, and so yes, in [Final Fantasy XVI] you’ll find?? inspiration from re??cent triple-A open-world RPGs."

"However, to bring a story that feels like it spans an entire globe and beyond??, we decided to avoid an open world design that limits us to a single open world space, and instead focus on an independent area-based game des?ign that can give players a better feel of a truly 'global' scale," said Yoshida.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=gV5rIW1Qums

World dominants

Considering the open-world design of Final Fantasy XV had some mixed reception, it looks like Square Enix has opted for a different direction with XVI.

The world's areas will still need to accommodate its monstrously huge Eikon battles. These fights, held by famous Final Fantasy faces like Shiva, Ramuh, and Ifrit, are massive and will be involved in the battles of Final Fantasy XVI. How that happens, though, varies fro??m Eikon to Eikon.

In an interview with Game Informer, Yoshida says the team doesn't use the same exact system twice for Eikon-versus-Eikon battle??s. One might be similar to a 3D shooter, while another feels ?more like a pro wrestling match.

Final Fantasy XVI is aiming to launch in summe?r 2023 on the ??PlayStation 5.

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The next numbered entry is apparently pretty close to complete

A new look at the next Final Fantasy may not be far off. Producer Naoki Yoshida confirms a new Final Fantasy XVI trailer is on the way, after an uncertain delay.

This comes from a recent livestream, featuring the crossover between Nier Reincarnation and the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. (Translation courtesy of Siliconera.)

Yoshida?? says a new video is done and will ap?pear "soon." It was delayed, however he doesn't go into detail as to why.

As for the development of Final Fantasy XVI, Yoshida says the development team has spent time polishing and debugging, and that it is "pretty much complete."

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yr6PtdY0i7M

That echoes a similar sentiment from the UNIQLO pamphlet that contained an interview with Yoshida. In the excerpt, Yoshida says development on Final Fantasy XVI is in "the final stretch." In the same interview (via Gematsu), he elaborates more on the team's approach for a? single-player RPG:

"Unlike online games, which portrays multiple players at once, Final Fantasy XVI has an individual focus, which makes the story more immersive. And I think the story has become quite deep. My hope is that the adults who have grown up, understand the rules of society, and drifted away from Final Fantasy thinking 'the real world isn’t as easy as a video game' can remember the enthusiasm they had back then. Tha?t’s what we’re keeping in mind as we make?? this game."

The next step in Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy XVI has apparently been in development for quite some time, even before its reveal in 2020. And now, it seems like it ??could actually arrive pretty soon. Or at least, "pretty complete."

Square Enix hasn't, as of this writing, announced their plans for the summer of gaming news. The company did just make a massive announcement, confirming that it's planning to sell a chunk of its western development arm—including three studios and some big IP—to Embracer Group. Whatever happens, it does sound like we'll learn more about the next Final Fantasy sooner rather than later.

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Free trial sign-ups are still on hold, though

It's been a little over a month since Endwalker landed for Final Fantasy XIV players. The massive server congestion seems to be easing up, and so as previously announced, Final Fantasy XIV is back on sale again.

This means players can either buy in or upgrade their already-existing free trial accounts. And true enough, a quick perusal of the Steam, PlayStation, and Square Enix storefronts show Endwalker and general Final Fantasy XIV back on sale.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTTtd6bnhFs

Free trial sign-ups are still on hold, however. In the previous announcement, Final Fantasy XIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida said they would like to resume free trial registration, but they'll need t?o monitor server stability for a while longer.

This is great news for players like me, though. I got hooked on the Final Fantasy XIV train over the holidays, playing on an old free trial account I made a year ago. And it turns out the memes were right. I had already blasted through A Realm Reborn and Heavensward, and was staring?? at the giant stop s?ign for free trial players in the patch content.

Now, I can finally upgrade my account and get back on the road towards Endwalker. It's still strange to see a game lock out potential new players, but as one of those newcomers, I respect it a lot. I get now why Final Fantasy XIV players are so invested in seeing this story through. And now, with sales resumed, new?comers can get on the tracks too.

Today's re-opening of sales also coincides with Patch 6.08, which has some nice job changes for roles like Paladin, Monk, and Dragoo??n. Also, a new d??ata center has opened for Oceania, with some bonuses for anyone who hops over.

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Square Enix is freezing newcomers to help out the old-timers

The Final Fantasy XIV expansion Endwalker is out for everyone, and servers have been understandably stressed. But while waiting for queues isn't strange for an MMO launch, Square Enix is making some extra strides to deal with congestion. Final Fantasy XIV sales will be temporarily frozen, me??aning new players will have to wait a bit to hop into Eorzea.

In a new statement, Final Fantasy XIV direct??or and producer Naoki Yoshida notes that players are experiencing extremely long wait times due to a "dense concentration of play hours" that far exceeds server capacity, especially during peak times.

To help out, Yoshida confirms that Square Enix will be temporarily halting the sales of the Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition. And while players with active subscriptions (as opposed to the Free Trial) have been prioritized in queues already, Square will also be suspending new Free Tri??al registrations.?? The team will also be suspending all new advertisements.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTTtd6bnhFs

Yoshida also mentions the infamous "Error 2002" that's been causing log-in queue woes. He says the team has identified the cause of the problem and a fix will ?roll out with P??atch 6.01, which is currently scheduled for Dec. 21. Otherwise, Yoshida says that Patch 6.05, which includes the release of Pandæmonium: Asphodelos (Savage), will be going ahead as scheduled for Jan. 4, 2022.

On a larger scale, Yoshida says Square Enix is considering adding servers to each region, and will be looking at whether this will be a gradual addition or one big push. The plan in general, according to Yoshida, is to introduce a "large number of additions," and the team hopes to provide a roadmap?? by the end of Jan. 202??2.

Throughout the statement, Yoshida apologizes to players who are waiting in long queues to actually get into Endwalker. And by the accounts we've seen so far, it sounds like Endwalker is delivering for eager Final Fantasy XIV players.

This isn't even the first time Final Fantasy XIV has had to temporarily halt sales of the game. It's a little bit of the 'suffering from success' joke come to life, but it's also a marker of just how massive Final Fantasy XIV has become in the years since A Realm Reborn. Does this ironically make me want to play even more? Yes it does. But it's a pretty in??teresting move to? halt new sales to prioritize players who are active and playing now.

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