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 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. While we will coordinate with them as quickly as possible, Yoshida says that 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 new players from starting a Free Trial.
Square Enix will suspend all advertising related to the game due to the inability to sell FFXIV and the 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 that Error Code 2002 can see you kicked out of the queue instantly. You could find yourself further back, depending on how long it takes to log in again.
Yoshida claims that part of the problem is a bug. This bug was part of a login-related program 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 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, released on Tuesday, December 21st.
