Final Fantasy XIV has become so popular that Square Enix has had to stop selling the game. That means potential players want to know when FFXIV will be available to buy again. Those who wish to purchase the MMO should read on below to get an understanding of the situation.
When will you be able to buy FFXIV again?
Update: Square Enix will restart sales of Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition on January 25, 2022 according to an official blog post.
On December 15, 2021, Square Enix halted Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition sales as well as the free trial. The success of the recently released Endwalker expansion and the global chip shortage combined to overload the servers for the game. Director Naoki Yoshida was willing to trade additional sales of the game to improve service for existing customers.
Unfortunately, queues continue to be ongoing, and players will see a 30-60 minute wait to get into the game during primetime. Things have cooled off a bit approaching midnight EST, but even then, there can be a 1-5 minute wait to join the server.
Those that purchased FFXIV before December 15, 2021, can continue to purchase expansion packs or Collector’s Edition upgrades as usual. There has been no announcement concerning sales resuming. Until it can get the queues under control, the game will likely continue to be unavailable for new players.
Square Enix is, unfortunately, a victim of its own success. FFXIV has attracted a large and faithful player base throughout its existence. However, word of mouth, World of Warcraft refugees, and the COVID-19 pandemic combined to push the game to new heights. In addition, unlike many other MMOs, the cash shop is very light-handed, and players have come to appreciate that they can just pay their $14.99 a month and get a complete game experience. In an industry full of microtransactions and DLC, an MMO subscription is a much better deal than it used to be.
Hopefully, new players will be able to purchase Final Fantasy 14 soon. It’s a fantastic game, and the more people that get to experience it, the merrier!
