Summary
- Square Enix paused Final Fantasy 14 housing demolitions due to Los Angeles wildfires.
- The pause affects players on Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
- The company will provide updates on when auto-demolition timers will resume.
Square Enix has temporarily halted the automatic housing demolition timers across all four North American data centers of Final Fantasy 14, just one day after restarting them. This decision was made in response to the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires, and the company will continue to monitor the situation before deciding when to resume the timers.
In Final Fantasy 14, due to the scarcity of housing plots, Square Enix employs an automatic demolition system that frees up plots after 45 days of inactivity. This system encourages players to stay active and visit their virtual homes regularly to reset the timer. However, in cases where players are unable to log in due to real-world events such as natural disasters, Square Enix temporarily suspends these demolitions. They also provide advance notice when these pauses will end.
Although Final Fantasy 14 had previously announced the resumption of automatic housing demolitions in North America, the plan was quickly reversed. The Lodestone reported that the auto-demolitions were paused effective Thursday, January 9, at 11:20 PM Eastern, due to the Los Angeles wildfires. No specific timeline was given for when the auto-demolition timers would restart. The previous pause, which ended on January 8, was due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. This new moratorium applies only to Final Fantasy 14 players and free companies with housing plots on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, or Dynamis data centers. During this pause, homeowners can reset their 45-day timer by entering their property at any time.
Final Fantasy 14 Pauses Automatic Housing Demolition Timers After Restarting Them
- Final Fantasy 14 paused automatic housing demolitions on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
- The ongoing Los Angeles wildfires were the main reason Square Enix took action.
- The new pause started a day after a previous moratorium ended after three months.
- Square Enix will monitor the situation and update players on when timers will resume.
Square Enix expressed its sympathies to all players affected by the wildfires and stated it would continue to monitor the situation. The impact of the LA wildfires extends beyond gaming, affecting events like the climax of Critical Role's Campaign 3, which was postponed by a week, and an NFL playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings, which was relocated to Glendale, Arizona.
With the moratorium on housing demolitions and the return of the free login campaign, Final Fantasy 14 players have experienced a busy start to 2025. The duration of the current auto-demolition pause remains uncertain.
