Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker arrived December 7th, instead of November 23rd. This delay has been caused by two weeks. Naoki Yoshida, the game director, stated in a blog post that the delay was necessary to conduct adequate quality assurance testing during the final days of development.
Yoshida explains that the decision to delay Final Fantasy XIV was made to make sure Endwalker's story is worthy of 11 years of epic storytelling.
Yoshida wrote that "we remained firmly determined to adjust down to smallest nuances to ensure our writing covers every point of the vast and complex story that has spanned these 11 years since the original FFXIV in order to ensure that everyone can fully appreciate their adventure in Endwalker." Endwalker's quality control testing schedule was disrupted by the amount of time required to make necessary story adjustments. Yoshida mentions that the game's stability was a key factor in the delay.
Final Fantasy XIV experienced a huge increase in popularity in July. The digital deluxe version sold out quickly and the creation of new characters on North American servers was briefly suspended. Square Enix was forced to remove inactive players and increase server capacity to alleviate congestion due to the increased number of players. This happened without any major releases driving player interest. Yoshida was keen to make sure the game can handle the Endwalker-related spike in players.
Yoshida apologized for the delay and was seen tearing up when he announced it. Yoshi-P, a beloved developer, explained that he considered the inconveniences of players, such as requests for time off, before making the hard decision to postpone.
Yoshida wrote that "I was extremely torn between cutting down the expansion pack's size or releasing content in installments." "As such I ask for your forgiveness for the decision that I made."
Endwalker's launch will now take place one day before Halo Infinite releases, making December the first week with two of the most anticipated titles in the last few years.
Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker is available on PlayStation and PC December 7th.
