Final Fantasy XIV delays upcoming update due to COVID-19 restrictions

By Tyler Treese April 10, 2020

The Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers‘ 5.3 update won’t be arriving on time due to the impact of the coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19, Square Enix announced Friday. Originally set to release in mid-June, the studio has now pushed back the update back indefinitely. The team hopes the delay will only be one month, but wasn’t able to give a more specific time frame due to the uncertainty of the situation.

In an oen letter, director Naoki Yoshida explained why fans of the popular massively multiplayer online role-playing game will have to wait on the expansion’s third major update.

“We are terribly sorry for the disappointment this may cause our players, as we know you look forward to new patches,” Yoshida told fans. “However, it is also important to prioritize the physical and mental health of our development team, without whom we would never be able to release the quality updates and features you expect from FFXIV, so we ask for your understanding as we adjust our schedule in accordance with the situation.”

Tokyo has declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus, and the studio reportedly can’t keep up with the regular pace of development as everyone is now working from home. While those issues didn’t impact the recently released 5.25 patch, that update was already nearly complete before the pandemic spread, and some employees were still able to safely visit the office.

Yoshida outlined other issues the Final Fantasy XIV team is currently facing. Voice actors are unable to record their lines in Europe, worldwide city lockdowns have forced a delay of graphical assets, and both the production and quality assurance teams are operating at lower capacity due to shelter-in-place limitations.

Server maintenance for the game will still occur regularly, although Yoshida told fans that support desk inquiries may take longer than usual. Bug fixes might also take longer to implement. Square Enix said it will communicate with fans and asks for their patience.

“While many of us worldwide remain inside our homes,” Yoshida continued in his letter, “we should remember to let joy and laughter fill them ─ because in times like these, it’s especially important to find happiness where you can.”

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Creating Clive: Final Fantasy XVI creators unveil the details behind its hero

If you held a March Madness-style tournament to determine the Final Fantasy hero with the most emotional baggage, I’d imagine that Final Fantasy XVI’s Clive Rosfield would at least make his way to the semi-finals. The tortured hero goes through one hell of an ordeal in the action RPG’s dark intro. First, his little brother that he’s sworn to protect gets brutally murdered by Ifrit after a climactic Eikon battle. To add insult to that injury, Clive has his life spared by a rival nation in Valisthea and is forced to serve in their military against his will.

Tough break, kid.

Gaming

Final Fantasy XVI’s most impressive innovations are the ones you can hear

Clive walks through a field in Final Fantasy XVI.

Final Fantasy XVI is a leap forward for the long-running RPG series in some very obvious ways, The most immediately apparent way it accomplishes that is through its fantastic real-time combat, which makes the adventure into Final Fantasy’s best pure action game to date. Then there are its cinematic Eikon fights, which offer spectacle on a level we’ve long dreamed of seeing in a video game. However, some of its most impressive innovations are ones you can’t actually see. Rather, you’ll need to listen closely.

Ahead of Final Fantasy XVI’s launch, I spoke to series composer Masayoshi Soken about his work on the project. While we talked a bit about his excellent score, Soken was most eager to share details on the new sound tech that was built for the action RPG. You may not notice it while playing, but Final Fantasy XVI raises the bar for video game audio in ways that might soon carry over into other Square Enix titles.
Audio innovation
In a music panel prior to Final Fantasy XVI’s release, Soken shared a bit about the new sound tech powering the game. The first major innovation he highlighted was the action RPG’s new approach to interactive music, a system meant to make the soundtrack more reactive and dynamic in battles. Rather than looping music during fights, Soken uses audio magic to seamlessly transition between different sections of the score no matter how long it takes a player to move through the fight. Everything down to Clive’s end pose will naturally sync up with the music in every fight.

Gaming

All Wall of Memories curiosities in Final Fantasy 16

Final Fantasy 16's cover showcasing its protagonist infront of two demon summons.

Clive is a more sentimental guy than you might expect from looking at him. Even though he puts on a tough face, it's clear he still cares deeply for those around him in Final Fantasy 16. This is most obvious once you unlock the Wall of Memories where he will store all the trinkets and items he finds to display. These curiosities are the main collectibles you will be picking up throughout Final Fantasy 16, but only the first is handed to you. The remaining ones will be off the main path and take a little more work. If you want to fully stock Clive's Wall of Memories with every collectible, here's where you can find them in Final Fantasy 16.
All curiosities

There are a total of 22 curiosities to find to fill up your Wall of Memories in Final Fantasy 16, but you could really say 21 since the first is given to you as part of the story. Here's where to get them all so you can unlock the For the Hoard trophy.
The Oath
Automatically obtained once you reach the "Cid the Outlaw" main quest.
Ambrosia's Tack
Rewarded to you after completing "The White-Winged Wonder" sidequest.
Martelle Apples
Rewarded to you after completing "The Fruits of Her Labors" sidequest.
Cid's Goblet
Rewarded to you after completing the "Payback" sidequest.
Guardians Scarf
Rewarded to you after completing "The Flames of War" sidequest.
Continental Censer
Rewarded to you after completing the "An Eye for an Eye" sidequest.
Hanged Man Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "For Great Justice II" sidequest.
Martha's Rest Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Rekindling the Flame II" sidequest.
Crimson Caravans Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Trading Places II" sidequest.
Charred Sparring Sword
Rewarded to you after completing the "More than Words" sidequest.
Scholar's Bonnet
Rewarded to you after completing the"An Inconvenient Truth" sidequest.
Stolas Quill
Rewarded to you after completing the "A Tail to Tell" sidequest.
Model Airship
Rewarded to you after completing the "Aiming High" sidequest.
Winter Mead
Rewarded to you after completing the "Silver Linings" sidequest.
Rusted Battlehelm
Rewarded to you after completing the "Where There's a Will" sidequest.
Snow Daisy Garland
Rewarded to you after completing the "Priceless" sidequest.
The Triunity Accord
Rewarded to you after completing the "Three's Company" sidequest.
Briar's Kiss Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Lines in the Sand II" sidequest.
Clayhearth Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Duty Undying II" sidequest.
Veil Signboard
Rewarded to you after completing the "Under New Management II" sidequest.
Medicine Chest
Rewarded to you after completing the "Back to Their Origin" sidequest.
The Circle of Malius
Rewarded to you after completing all of the trails in every chronolith.