** PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS POST **

TIMES ARE IN GMT + 0


All source pertaining Final Fantasy XIV in this thread are taken from Official Website such as The Lodestone & The Forums.
Please do not reply to this post as it serves as a News Hub Informants.

This post has been edited by shojikun: Aug 31 2013, 11:50 PM

[Follow-up] Regarding Preparations to Increase the Capacity of our Data Centers (Aug. 27)

Thank you very much for playing FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

We would like to make a clarification regarding our previous announcement “Regarding Congestion in Japan Data Center Worlds (Aug. 27)” in which we stated that we are preparing to increase the capacity of our data centers.

The first half of the announcement regarding login and character creation restrictions was directed towards our players who would be playing during peak hours in Japan data center Worlds.

However, the second half of the announcement regarding increasing the capacity of our data centers was meant to also encompass North American and European data center Worlds and not just be limited to Japan data center Worlds.

We deeply apologise for causing concern amongst the North American and European community due to our lack of clarity. Capacity will be increased for data centers in all regions.

Once again, thank you for your understanding and cooperation to help us welcome more players to the game.

Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Aug. 31)
We are currently experiencing stability issues with the Japan data center Worlds due to congestion.

The issue is being addressed, and new updates will follow as additional information becomes available.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Date & Time]
From Aug. 31, 2013 around 3:50 p.m. (GMT)

[Details]
- Unable to log into the Japan data center Worlds.

[Affected Worlds]
Japan data center Worlds
-Aegis
-Alexander
-Anima
-Atomos
-Bahamut
-Carbuncle
-Chocobo
-Durandal
-Fenrir
-Garuda
-Gungnir
-Hades
-Ifrit
-Ixion
-Kujata
-Mandragora
-Masamune
-Ramuh
-Ridill
-Tiamat
-Titan
-Tonberry
-Typhon
-Ultima
-Valefor

By Naoki Yoshida, Producer/Director of Final Fantasy XIV

Further Details on Access Restrictions
This is FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn producer and director Naoki Yoshida and I would like to take the time to personally apologize once again to all those players who have been affected by the extended World login and character creation restrictions which have been in place for the past several days. I also understand that apologies will not help you get logged in, so I would like to give you an update on the situation at hand and the various measures we are currently employing to alleviate the situation.

Concurrent Connections

On the night following the announcement of our plans to temporarily limit sales of the download version, A Realm Reborn recorded upwards of 218,000 concurrent connections. This is in spite of the fact that the peak login times for separate regions around the world arrive at differing intervals. We estimate that without time zone differences, the total number of concurrent connections would number anywhere from 300,000 to 350,000.

As many of you know, this is the second launch for FINAL FANTASY XIV─something unprecedented in the MMORPG market. Considering the outcome of our first launch, our sales estimates for this one were decidedly conservative, as we believed that there would be a more gradual rise in users over the opening weeks and months.

Instead, to our pleasant surprise, we experienced tremendous support from a great number of players who were eager to get into the game from day one. To ensure that these players, once logged in, were able to play in a stable environment, we were required to implement login restrictions which kept server population near maximum capacity without exceeding those numbers.

The fact that we had to implement these restrictions is a direct result of my inaccurate sales and login estimates, and as producer, I must accept complete responsibility for this misstep. Each and every player who has been affected has my deepest apologies.

The Reasoning behind Login Restrictions

Each FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn World server has been designed to support a maximum of 5,000 concurrent connections. This is not the maximum number of characters which can be created on a World, however, but the maximum number of characters which can be logged into that World simultaneously. When more than 5,000 characters log into a World at once, there is a higher risk of server crashes and login errors. The restoration of crashed servers is usually followed by a rush of players attempting to log back in, which, in turn, puts a strain on our lobby server, and can ultimately have an adverse affect on all of the Worlds.

To prevent this from happening, we felt that the safest course of action would be to limit logins. However, we would like you to know that the restrictions are under constant surveillance. We are currently monitoring login numbers on all Worlds 24 hours a day, and actively removing/applying restrictions as soon as we detect even the smallest fluctuation in concurrent connection numbers.

Currently, peak login times for each region are occurring from approximately 9:00 p.m. to midnight. During this three-hour window, Worlds are more likely to have login restrictions implemented. These temporary restrictions are expected to continue until the time that we can execute the measures we have planned to alleviate the current situation. Those measures, including the addition of new World servers, are listed, in detail, below.

Character Creation Restrictions

As stated above, the maximum number of simultaneous connections each World server can handle is 5,000, while the number of characters which can be created on a World is several times that amount. This estimate of 5,000, however, is based on those characters being somewhat distributed over all the in-game areas (zones).

At the game’s start, however, while everyone is still at a low level, the majority of players are concentrated in the three city-states and surrounding areas. This can not only lead to a lack of enemies to slay (preventing quest progression), but also see area servers overloaded, and ultimately lead to crashes.

Fortunately, differences in total individual play time, login times, and character/class progression will eventually lead to players being more spread out within each World. Once this happens, there will be less need for both login and character creation restrictions.

As is the case with logins, our team is working around the clock, monitoring the current population of each area in each World, as well as the class level of each character, and adjusting new character creation restrictions based on their findings. Unlike login restrictions, we believe that character creation restrictions may take slightly longer to be removed, as there are still great discrepancies in the distribution of characters across Worlds, and we thank players for their patience and understanding in this issue.

Adding Worlds and Alleviating Server Load Issues

A server is essentially a high-spec PC, with each FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn World being made up of several of these machines. Creating a new World involves physically acquiring the servers, installing the necessary programs, and conducting internal functionality tests...all before opening the World to the public.

As the login data gathered from the Open Beta test (in which anyone, including those who had not purchased the game, could participate) was inconclusive, it was during the Early Access period that we had a clearer picture of the scope with which we would need to increase World capacity, and on the 25th of August began making preparations to do so significantly.

As of this post, the servers have been acquired, the essential programs installed, and we are currently in the process of conducting our internal tests. Once these tests have concluded and the Worlds go live, we believe we will be able to better accommodate a greater number of our players, making logging in less of a hassle.

In addition to increasing the number of Worlds, we are also optimizing the Duty Finder (party matching) management servers in an effort to reduce server load and ensure better stability when using this feature.

Currently, the Duty Finder servers split our data centers into two groups of 25 Worlds, and then do the party matching from players from within the same data center. We have determined that by adding new Worlds, the Duty Finder servers will not be able to process the additional data as long as there are only two pairings of groups to match from. Therefore, we have decided to create additional groups to alleviate this problem before it occurs, and by doing so, reduce the burden on the Duty Finder servers, and ultimately allow more players to access the feature.

The development and operations teams are currently concentrating 100% of their efforts into the aforementioned tasks and are on pace to have both completed by the beginning of next week and then released to the public once our final tests have concluded. Once a date and time for the implementation of the measures have been solidified, we will release another announcement on Lodestone outlining the details. We ask that you bear with us for just a few days longer while we make the final push.

Resolving AFK Character Issues

From several users on some of our more congested Worlds, we have received requests for a feature which automatically logs out characters who are AFK for an extended period of time. We are actively looking into the implementation of such a feature, but have decided to first concentrate our efforts on increasing the number of Worlds and optimizing the Duty Finder servers.

In Conclusion

The development and operations teams are working diligently to combat the login issues which many of our users are currently facing, and ask for your continued patience and understanding over the next several days as we move to solve these problems.

To thank all of you for bearing with us for so long, we will be looking into different ways to reward our loyal fans and customers, such as an extension of the free trial period. Details on the plans we have in the works will be announced shortly.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we have been overwhelmed with the positive response for A realm Reborn, which is why it doubly pains us to implement any sort of measure that may restrict people from joining us in Eorzea. We sincerely apologize for the unwanted stress these restrictions have caused, and thank you immensely for the understanding you have shown over the past week. The fixes are almost in place and we look forward to seeing all of you very, very soon.

Thank you.

FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Producer & Director Naoki Yoshida

08/31/2013 9:22 PM
[Recovery] Recovery from Several Worlds Technical Difficulties (Aug. 31)
During the following time period, players on the Japanese data center Worlds were being disconnected from certain instances.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
Aug. 31, 2013 from 12:47 to 12:51 (GMT)

[Details]
- Players were disconnected from instances.

[Affected Worlds]
Japanese Data Center Worlds

08/31/2013 9:57 PM
Regarding Character Creation Restrictions (Aug. 31): Follow-up 3
Currently, we have stopped allowing the creation of new characters in the following Worlds:

Adamantoise
Aegis
Bahamut
Balmung
Carbuncle
Cerberus
Chocobo
Coeurl
Diabolos
Durandal
Excalibur
Exodus
Faerie
Fenrir
Gilgamesh
Goblin
Gungnir
Hades
Hyperion
Ifrit
Ixion
Kujata
Lamia
Leviathan
Malboro
Mandragora
Masamune
Moogle
Odin
Phoenix
Ragnarok
Ridill
Sargatanas
Shiva
Siren
Tonberry
Typhon
Ultima
Valefor

In the event of any changes in the situation, follow-up news posts will be posted here as well.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/76132

Login Issue Update
I know many of you are still affected by the World login and character creation restrictions, so I would like to give you all a brief update on the progress of the measures we are taking to alleviate this situation.

Current Server Status

To ensure as many players as possible can log in and create characters on existing servers, our development and operations teams are monitoring server load and population around the clock, placing and removing restrictions with even the slightest fluctuation in numbers in order to maintain near-full capacity on each World. We are still experiencing maximum concurrent connection numbers of over 230,000 users. This number, however, has taxed some of our instance servers, and is causing unexpected down time here, as well.

Scheduled Maintenance for Wednesday, September 4 (Japan Time)

The addition of new Worlds, as well as the adjustments to the duty finder servers, will be complete as of tomorrow. We will then enter our final internal testing phase of these features in preparation. If the results from these tests are favorable, we will conduct an extended all-World maintenance on Wednesday (Japan time). Once the new Worlds are implemented and the duty finder server load has been redistributed over smaller World server groups, we believe that many of the login issues that players are currently experiencing will clear.

When Worlds do finally reopen after the maintenance, we expect a rush of players trying to log back in. To prevent any further login issues, we will be using the utmost caution when restarting each World. Please understand that there may be some congestion at this time.

The development and operations teams are currently dedicating their full resources to alleviating the issues at hand and providing all of our players with a stable environment in which to experience the realm of Eorzea.

Free Trial Extension

To apologize to our loyal fans who may not have been able to login or create characters during early access and the days immediately following launch, the development and operations teams are currently considering providing all player accounts with an additional seven days to their free trials. This includes non-legacy players from 1.0, who will be given new seven-day free trials. Trial extensions will be awarded after the aforementioned server maintenance on Wednesday. Details on the trial extension, including the extension period, will be released in a separate post as soon as they have been solidified.

We thank our fans again for the overwhelming support you have shown us over the past week. The response to FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn has well exceeded our expectations, and unfortunately resulted in our inability to provide the service which we originally intended. We humbly ask for your continued patience as we work to alleviate the issues as we truly appreciate all of our fans. We are very sorry for the frustration that has resulted from these problems.


FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Producer & Director Naoki Yoshida

09/01/2013 9:19 AM
[Follow-up] Recovery from Several Worlds Technical Difficulties (Aug. 31)
We were experiencing technical difficulties wherein players are being disconnected from instances on the North American and European data center Worlds. As a result, customers who were disconnected from said content were unable to log in.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
From Aug. 31, 2013 19:53 to 23:15 (GMT)

[Details]
- Disconnected from certain instances.
- Unable to log in after being disconnected from certain instances.

[Cause]
-Congestion to certain instances

[Affected Worlds]
North American and European Data Center Worlds
- Adamantoise
- Balmung
- Behemoth
- Cactuar
- Cerberus
- Coeurl
- Diabolos
- Excalibur
- Exodus
- Faerie
- Gilgamesh
- Goblin
- Hyperion
- Lamia
- Leviathan
- Malboro
- Midgardsormr
- Moogle
- Odin
- Phoenix
- Ragnarok
- Sargatanas
- Shiva
- Siren
- Ultros


09/01/2013 7:45 AM
[Follow-up] Regarding Character Creation Restrictions (Sep. 1): Follow-up 4
Currently, we have stopped allowing the creation of new characters in the following Worlds:

Aegis
Anima
Atomos
Bahamut
Balmung
Behemoth
Cactuar
Carbuncle
Cerberus
Chocobo
Coeurl
Diabolos
Durandal
Excalibur
Exodus
Faerie
Gilgamesh
Goblin
Gungnir
Hades
Hyperion
Ixion
Lamia
Leviathan
Malboro
Mandragora
Masamune
Moogle
Odin
Phoenix
Ragnarok
Sargatanas
Shiva
Siren
Tonberry
Ultima
Ultros

In the event of any changes in the situation, follow-up news posts will be posted here as well.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

09/01/2013 4:02 PM
[Recovery] Recovery from Several Worlds Technical Difficulties (Sep. 1)
During the following time period, players were being disconnected from instances on the Japan data center Worlds.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 1, 2013 from 6:48 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. (PDT).

[Details]
- Disconnected from certain instances.

[Affected Worlds]
Japan Data Center Worlds.

09/01/2013 6:10 PM
[Recovery] Recovery from Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 1)
We were experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the Japanese data centre Worlds were unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 1, 2013 8:04 to 8:43 (GMT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Cause]
Issues with server program

[Affected Worlds]
The following Japanese data centre worlds:
-Aegis
-Alexander
-Anima
-Atomos
-Bahamut
-Carbuncle
-Chocobo
-Durandal
-Fenrir
-Garuda
-Gungnir
-Hades
-Ifrit
-Ixion
-Kujata
-Mandragora
-Masamune
-Ramuh
-Ridill
-Tiamat
-Titan
-Tonberry
-Typhon
-Ultima
-Valefor

09/01/2013 7:50 PM
Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 1)
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the Japanese data centre Worlds are unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. The issue is being addressed, and new updates will follow as additional information becomes available.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 1, 2013 11:20 a.m. (GMT)

[Details]
- Disconnected from certain instances.

[Affected Worlds]
The Japanese data centre worlds


09/01/2013 8:14 PM
[Recovery] Recovery from Several Worlds Technical Difficulties (Sep. 1)[
During the following time period, players were being disconnected from instances on the Japan data centre Worlds.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 1, 2013 from 11:15 to 11:40 (GMT)

[Details]
- Disconnected from certain instances.

[Affected Worlds]
Japan Data Centre Worlds

09/01/2013 9:54 PM
Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 1)
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the Japanese data centre Worlds are unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. The issue is being addressed, and new updates will follow as additional information becomes available.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 1, 2013 13:31 (GMT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Affected Worlds]
The following Japanese data centre worlds:
-Aegis
-Alexander
-Anima
-Atomos
-Bahamut
-Carbuncle
-Chocobo
-Durandal
-Fenrir
-Garuda
-Gungnir
-Hades
-Ifrit
-Ixion
-Kujata
-Mandragora
-Masamune
-Ramuh
-Ridill
-Tiamat
-Titan
-Tonberry
-Typhon
-Ultima
-Valefor

09/02/2013 3:25 AM
[Recovery] Recovery from Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 1)
We were experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the North American and European data center Worlds were unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 1, 2013 18:00 to 19:15 (GMT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Cause]
Issues with server program

[Affected Worlds]
North American and European Data Center Worlds
- Adamantoise
- Balmung
- Behemoth
- Cactuar
- Cerberus
- Coeurl
- Diabolos
- Excalibur
- Exodus
- Faerie
- Gilgamesh
- Goblin
- Hyperion
- Lamia
- Leviathan
- Malboro
- Midgardsormr
- Moogle
- Odin
- Phoenix
- Ragnarok
- Sargatanas
- Shiva
- Siren
- Ultros

09/02/2013 11:13 AM
Recovery from Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 2)
We were experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the North American and European data center Worlds were unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

We are pleased to announce that the issue has been addressed. We apologise for any inconvenience this may have caused.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 2, 2013 2:27 to 2:32 (GMT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Cause]
Issues with server program

[Affected Worlds]
North American and European Data Center Worlds
- Adamantoise
- Balmung
- Behemoth
- Cactuar
- Cerberus
- Coeurl
- Diabolos
- Excalibur
- Exodus
- Faerie
- Gilgamesh
- Goblin
- Hyperion
- Lamia
- Leviathan
- Malboro
- Midgardsormr
- Moogle
- Odin
- Phoenix
- Ragnarok
- Sargatanas
- Shiva
- Siren
- Ultros

[EU] All Worlds Maintenance (Sep. 4)
At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn to perform the operations listed below. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

[Details]
- Addition of new Worlds
- Implementation of countermeasures to handle the influx of concurrent user counts as a result of split processing the duty finder
- Address several known issues

* Clients will update automatically upon launch after the date and time below.

* We will announce details of the fixes at a later time.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 4, 2013 00:00 to Sep. 4, 2013 10:00 (GMT)
* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Service]
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

09/02/2013 5:40 PM
[Follow-up] Regarding Character Creation Restrictions (Sep. 2): Follow-up 6
Currently, we have stopped allowing the creation of new characters in the following Worlds:

Kujata
Typhon
Valefor
Aegis
Durandal
Gungnir
Masamune
Ridill
Bahamut
Tonberry
Mandragora
Chocobo
Carbuncle
Shiva
Moogle
Odin
Exodus
Faerie
Lamia
Siren
Coeurl
Sargatanas
Diabolos
Gilgamesh
Leviathan
Balmung
Excalibur
Hyperion

In the event of any changes in the situation, follow-up news posts will be posted here as well.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

09/02/2013 9:26 PM
Several Worlds Login Difficulties (Sep. 2)
We are currently experiencing technical difficulties wherein players on the Japanese data centre Worlds are unable to log into on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. The issue is being addressed, and new updates will follow as additional information becomes available.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

[Date & Time]
From Sep. 2, 2013 12:49 (GMT)

[Details]
Unable to log into several Worlds.

[Affected Worlds]
The following Japanese data centre worlds:
-Aegis
-Alexander
-Anima
-Atomos
-Bahamut
-Carbuncle
-Chocobo
-Durandal
-Fenrir
-Garuda
-Gungnir
-Hades
-Ifrit
-Ixion
-Kujata
-Mandragora
-Masamune
-Ramuh
-Ridill
-Tiamat
-Titan
-Tonberry
-Typhon
-Ultima
-Valefor

09/03/2013 12:52 PM
Several Worlds Emergency Maintenance (Sep. 3)

At the following time, we will be performing emergency maintenance on Japan Data Center Worlds to restart servers as a temporary countermeasure against server congestion and to fix the data of characters unable to log in due to the 90000 error. During this period, the Worlds listed below will be unavailable.

* The 90000 error was originally scheduled to be addressed during tomorrow’s maintenance but has been moved up to today due to its large scale impact.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 3, 2013 from 6:00 to 9:00 (GMT)

* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Worlds]
North American/European Data Center Worlds
- Aegis
- Alexander
- Anima
- Atomos
- Bahamut
- Carbuncle
- Chocobo
- Durandal
- Fenrir
- Garuda
- Gungnir
- Hades
- Ifrit
- Ixion
- Kujata
- Mandragora
- Masamune
- Ramuh
- Ridill
- Tiamat
- Titan
- Tonberry
- Typhon
- Ultima
- Valefor

This post has been edited by shojikun: Sep 3 2013, 01:01 PM

09/03/2013 4:00 PM
Server Congestion and Trial Period Extensions (09/03/2013)



We would like to thank all our customers for their continued support of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

Since the beginning of official service on August 27, 2013, the number of users attempting to access the game has significantly exceeded our initial estimates. While we are pleased to see support for the game reach far beyond our expectations, the servers were not prepared to handle this influx of players. As a result, our servers have been pushed beyond maximum capacity. In order to allow access to as many users as possible, we have implemented login and character creation restrictions. We understand, however, that these restrictions have greatly inconvenienced our players.

To resolve this issue, we will be performing maintenance from September 4, 2013, at 0:00 to 10:00 (GMT), for the purpose of increasing the number of available Worlds, reducing stress on the Duty Finder servers, and increasing the number of concurrent logins allowed for each server.

Because login and character creation restrictions have hindered our ability to provide quality service, all FINAL FANTASY XIV service accounts will receive an additional seven days of free play time. Furthermore, users who have yet to enter their registration codes will receive an additional seven-day trial should they register before 23:59 (GMT) on September 9, 2013. Moving forward, we will continue monitoring the servers to ensure that quality service and support are provided in a timely manner.

The additional seven days will be reflected on service accounts after maintenance has concluded on September 4, 2013, which can be confirmed by accessing the FINAL FANTASY XIV: Mog Station.( http://sqex.to/Msp )

We thank you again for your patience and understanding as we continue to address these issues, and look forward to your continued support of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn.

09/04/2013 3:00 PM
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn Updated (Sep. 4)
A version update was performed on FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn at the following time.

* Clients will update automatically upon launch after the date and time below.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 4, 2013 at around 6:10 (GMT)

[Affected Service]
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

[Update Details]
* Update details will be announced at a later time.

09/06/2013 5:04 PM
Regarding RMT Advertisements
Having confirmed in-game advertisements for RMT* sites, we have taken the following actions to address this issue.
*RMT (Real Money Trade) is selling account or game data with actual currency in the real world.

Period: Aug. 24, 2013 to Sep. 5, 2013
-Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT advertisement: 518 Accounts -Action Details: Permanent ban from FINAL FANTASY XIV

In addition to chat filters, we will continue to address RMT activity through cooperation with our GM teams and STF (Special Task Force). If you are solicited by an RMT company in-game, please do not respond.

Among the accounts banned during our investigation, we have confirmed that many of these accounts were hacked. In order to protect your information, we please ask that you protect your Square Enix Account information. We also strongly recommend using the Square Enix Security Token to increase account protection.
For more information about the Security Token: http://sqex.to/o8p

When you see an RMT advertisement, please file a report by using the in-game command [System Menu] -> [Support Desk] -> [Contact Us] -> [Report Cheating].

*What is a STF (Special Task Force)
STF is a special team that eliminates any cheats or actions that would have a negative impact on FINAL FANTASY XIV, and aim for the safety of the community and maintain the play environment. More specifically, they control issues related to RMT or use of outside programs that are not part of the GM's control. Information gathered and confirmed in game by the GMs will be analyzed by the STF and will be applied to the countermeasures against cheats and RMT actions.

This post has been edited by eugenelimys: Sep 6 2013, 05:43 PM

2013/09/07 07:30 Improving the Security of Your Account
Recently we have seen a rise in reports of player accounts being compromised. In order to better safeguard your account's security, please take a moment to review the following tips:

- Avoid sharing account passwords across multiple online services Please note that if you use the same account name or password as your Square Enix account on other online services, a security breach at any of the other online services could potentially lead to your Square Enix account being compromised.

- Use complex passwords that are resistant to guessing If you use repeated strings of characters, phone numbers, birth dates, or other information that may be tied to your identity, this may make it possible for individuals to access your account simply by guessing its password.

- Change your password
If your current password does not adhere to the guidelines listed above, or if you believe that there is any possibility of your password having been compromised, we recommend that you change your password by going to the following page:

https://secure.square-enix.com/account/app/svc/reminder?

- Add extra security to your account with a Security Token or Software Token

To further strengthen the security of your Square Enix account, we highly recommend using a Square Enix Security Token or Software Token to act as an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.

A free, downloadable smartphone app is available at the following locations:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?..._software_token

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/square-enix...d617970570?mt=8

Physical security tokens are also available for purchase here:
http://www.square-enix.com/na/account/otp/

Also, please note that accounts that are suspected of having been compromised will have their access temporarily restricted. Once login has been restricted, an email notification will be sent to the primary email address registered to the Square Enix account. This email will contain instructions on how to remove the login restriction. Players will be asked to reset their passwords and log in again.

Please visit the following link for more information about login restrictions.
http://support.na.square-enix.com/j/lbna

We kindly ask for your cooperation in helping us better safeguard your personal information and account information.

09/07/2013 9:20 AM
Regarding Character Creation Restrictions
Updates on Character Creation Restrictions can be found here.
This information will be updated at the following intervals:
15:00/ 20:00/ 1:00/ 6:00/ 11:00 (GMT)

○：Character Creation Possible ×：Character Creation Restricted

- Japan data center
　○ Aegis
　× Alexander
　× Anima
　× Atomos
　○ Bahamut
　× Carbuncle
　○ Chocobo
　○ Durandal
　× Fenrir
　× Garuda
　○ Gungnir
　○ Hades
　× Ifrit
　○ Ixion
　○ Kujata
　○ Mandragora
　○ Masamune
　○ Pandaemonium
　× Ramuh
　○ Ridill
　× Tiamat
　× Titan
　○ Tonberry
　○ Typhon
　○ Ultima
　○ Valefor

- North American/European data center
　× Adamantoise
　× Balmung
　× Behemoth
　× Cactuar
　○ Cerberus
　○ Coeurl
　× Diabolos
　× Excalibur
　× Exodus
　× Faerie
　× Famfrit
　× Gilgamesh
　× Goblin
　× Hyperion
　× Lamia
　× Leviathan
　○ Lich
　× Malboro
　× Midgardsormr
　× Moogle
　○ Odin
　○ Phoenix
　○ Ragnarok
　× Sargatanas
　○ Shiva
　× Siren
　× Ultros

09/09/2013 4:30 PM
Notice of All Worlds Maintenance (Sep. 12)
At the following time, in order to add new content to Worlds, enhance instance Worlds, further enhance Duty Finder performance, and to address several confirmed issues, we will be performing maintenance on all Worlds.

During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

* Clients will update automatically upon launch after the date and time below.

*Because we predict a login rush right after maintenance completion, you may experience a 1017 error. If this happens, please wait awhile and try to login again at a later time.

*Details on the addressed issues will be posted separately.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 12, 2013 from 0:00 to 10:00 (GMT)
* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

09/12/2013 5:00 PM
Regarding Details of Recent Maintenance (Sep. 12)
The following are details regarding the maintenance operation that occurred on Sep. 12, 2013 from 0:00 to 7:55 (GMT).

[Countermeasures to Relieve Heavy Server Stress on Duty Finder] This maintenance implemented countermeasures to further relieve heavy server stress on the Duty Finder and instance-related Worlds.

With this measure, group matching is now split among the following three groups for the selection process.

- Japan data centre
- Group 1
Aegis/Atomos/Carbuncle/Garuda/Gungnir/Kujata/Ramuh/Tonberry/Typhon/Unicorn

- Group 2
Alexander/Bahamut/Durandal/Fenrir/Ifrit/Ridill/Tiamat/Ultima/Valefor/Yojimbo/Zeromus

- Group 3
Anima/Chocobo/Hades/Ixion/Mandragora/Masamune/Pandaemonium/Titan/Asura/Belias

- North American/European data centre
- Group 1
Adamantoise/Balmung/Cerberus/Coeurl/Faerie/Goblin/Midgardsormr/Odin/Sargatanas/Siren

- Group 2
Behemoth/Diabolos/Excalibur/Famfrit/Lamia/Leviathan/Lich/Shiva/Ultros/Brynhildr

- Group 3
Cactuar/Exodus/Gilgamesh/Hyperion/Malboro/Moogle/Phoenix/Ragnarok/Mateus/Zalera

*Groupings are determined by balancing levels, number of people, class/jobs, and adjusted so as to help provide a smooth matching process.

[Increased Number of Instance Worlds]
The Duty Finder and quest instance battles are handled internally in their own separate Worlds. In addition to the above measure of easing server load by splitting the selection pool amongst the above groups, we have also increased the number of instance-related Worlds on which battles occur.

This measure allows the facilitation of more instances, decreasing cases in which players must wait for an instance to become open after they have already been matched by the Duty Finder or the quest instance battle has been initiated.

[Addition of New Worlds]
We have implemented the addition of the following Worlds.

- Japan data centre
Unicorn/Yojimbo/Asura/Belias/Zeromus

- North American/European data center
Mateus/Brynhildr/Zalera

Please note that upon first opening of the new Worlds, we predict a concentrated influx of characters in the low-level zones of said Worlds. Therefore until characters have evened out and dispersed into the various zones, please be aware we will be implementing Character Creation and login restrictions.

In addition, as a result of splitting the group matching for the Duty Finder into 3 groups, we are now able to expand our services easier. We will continue to monitor concurrent logins and the increase of new players in each World and if needed, periodically add new Worlds starting from October.

We will announce details regarding this at a later time.

[Implementation of Auto-Logout]
Because there are so many users attempting to login even when the maximum allowed number of concurrent logins has already been reached (in other words when login restrictions are in place) we have now implemented an auto-logout feature. In an attempt to provide as many users as possible a chance to login, characters that appear to be inactive for thirty minutes will be automatically logged out of the game.

[Login Restrictions Directly After Maintenance] In the time period just after maintenance has completed, we predict a rush of characters logging in simultaneously. In order to prevent any technical difficulties due to this login rush, we will be temporarily placing severe login restrictions. These login restrictions may occur frequently lasting from a few minutes to ten minutes; however, restrictions will be lifted in a gradual manner as login status is carefully monitored. We ask for your patience and understanding in this matter.

09/10/2013 10:15 PM
[Important] Warning Concerning the Security of Your Account
Currently, we have confirmed that a third party is using account names and passwords, thought to be obtained from security breaches of other companys' online services, in attempts to gain unauthorized access to Square Enix accounts.

If you are using the same account name or password as your Square Enix account on other online services, there is a much greater chance that a security breach at any of the other online services could potentially lead to your Square Enix account being compromised.

Additionally, even if you are not using the same account name or password across multiple accounts, if you use repeated strings of character, phone numbers, birthdates, or other information that may be tied to your identity, this may make it possible for individuals to access your account simply by guessing its password.

Therefore, if you are using the same account name or password for your Square Enix account as for your other online accounts, or are using a password that might be easily guessed, we ask that you change your password immediately by going to the following page:

https://secure.square-enix.com/account/app/svc/reminder

Also, please note that accounts that are suspected of having been compromised will have their access temporarily restricted. Once login has been restricted, an email notification will be sent to the primary email address registered to the Square Enix account. This email will contain instructions on how to remove the login restriction. Players will be asked to reset their passwords and log in again.

Please visit the following link for more information about login restrictions.

http://support.eu.square-enix.com/j/lbgb

To further strengthen the security of your Square Enix account, we highly recommend using a Square Enix Security Token to act as an extra layer of protection against unauthorized access.

A free, downloadable smartphone app is available at the following locations:

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?..._software_token

Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/en/app/square-enix...d617970570?mt=8

Physical security tokens are also available for purchase here:

http://eu.square-enix.com/en/seaccount/otp

Should instances of compromised accounts rise in future, there is the possibility we will perform a compulsory password reset across all Square Enix accounts.

We kindly ask for your cooperation in helping us better safeguard your personal information and account information. 

09/13/2013 6:29 PM
Several Worlds Maintenance (Sep. 16.)
At the following time, in order to further enhance server stability, we will be performing maintenance on several Worlds in the North American/European data center. During this period, you will not be able to access the Worlds listed below.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 16, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 (GMT)

* The completion time may be subject to change.

North American/European data center Worlds
- Adamantoise
- Balmung
- Behemoth
- Brynhildr
- Cactuar
- Cerberus
- Coeurl
- Diabolos
- Excalibur
- Exodus
- Faerie
- Famfrit
- Gilgamesh
- Goblin
- Hyperion
- Lamia
- Leviathan
- Lich
- Malboro
- Mateus
- Midgardsormr
- Moogle
- Odin
- Phoenix
- Ragnarok
- Sargatanas
- Shiva
- Siren
- Ultros
- Zalera

09/16/2013 9:51 PM
[Maintenance] Several Worlds Emergency Maintenance (Sep. 16)[
At the following time, we will be performing emergency maintenance on several Japanese data center Worlds. During this period, the Worlds listed below will be unavailable.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

[Date & Time]
Sep. 16, 2013 from 14:00 to 16:00 (GMT)
* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Worlds]
Japan data center Worlds
- Aegis
- Alexander
- Anima
- Asura
- Atomos
- Bahamut
- Belias
- Carbuncle
- Chocobo
- Durandal
- Fenrir
- Garuda
- Gungnir
- Hades
- Ifrit
- Ixion
- Kujata
- Mandragora
- Masamune
- Pandaemonium
- Ramuh
- Ridill
- Tiamat
- Titan
- Tonberry
- Typhon
- Ultima
- Unicorn
- Valefor
- Yojimbo
- Zeromus

10/01/2013 7:19 PM
Regarding Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT Ads and Illicit Activities (Oct. 1)
RMT and other illicit activities upset the balance of the game and, as such, are prohibited under the Terms of Service.

Because we have confirmed the existence of players who are engaging in these illicit activities, we have taken the actions listed below.

- Date: Sep. 12 – Sep. 30, 2013
- Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT site advertisements: 6,154 accounts
- Accounts receiving disciplinary action for illicit activity: 156 accounts
- Action Details: Termination from FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

- Date: Sep. 28, 2013
- Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT/illicit activities: 568 accounts
- Action Details: Termination/Temporary suspension from FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn
* Accounts of egregious violators will be terminated.

- Total Frozen Gil: Approximately 367,700 million Gil
* Gil of temporarily suspended accounts will be confiscated.

Included in the above are players who used/obtained gil, items, or actions through fraudulent means. Although we are taking the utmost care and attention to prevent such actions, players who discover any confirmed cheats should, under no circumstances, exploit or disseminate such information. Instead, we ask that players file a report by using the in-game command [System Menu] -> [Support Desk] -> [Contact Us] -> [Report Cheating].

In addition, the recent maintenance operations have implemented countermeasures to nullify the effects of the aforementioned cheats.

We will continue to take stringent disciplinary action against any accounts with confirmed involvement in RMT/illicit activity; players should take care to steer clear of any activity that violates the Terms of Service. Please be forewarned.

Details on the Upcoming Hot Fix
Greetings!

As we mentioned recently, we will be performing a hot fix next week where we will be performing adjustments and addressing various things. While the specific details will be announced separately, I would like to give you an overview of what will be done ahead of time.
Changes will be made to the way equipment is bound.
Introducing additional servers and enhancements to act as a countermeasure against the congestion to enter "Amdapor Keep."
The difficulty for level 50 dungeons will be adjusted.
The number of areas where you can acquire Allagan Tomestones of Philosophy and Mythology will be increased as well as the amount you can acquire.
Implementation of a population cap for each field.
Adjustments to the spawn rate of monsters that drop diremite web and additional locations where Karakul can be found.
The amount of experience points that can be acquired on botanist and miner, as well the experience points that can be acquired from their fieldcraft leves, will be increased.
User interface elements related to materia and target information will be adjusted.

In addition to the above adjustments we will also be fixing a number of bugs.

10/11/2013 6:51 PM
[Maintenance] All Worlds Maintenance (Oct. 15)
At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on all Worlds that goes along with the patch 2.05 HotFixes. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.
*This maintenance will implement a client program update as well. Booting the client after the patch release will automatically update the client program.

[Date & Time]
Oct. 15, 2013 from 3:00 a.m (GMT) to Oct. 15, 2013 9:00 a.m. (GMT)

* The completion time may be subject to change.

[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

This post has been edited by eugenelimys: Oct 13 2013, 04:55 PM

Regarding Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT and Other Illicit Activities (Nov. 21)
RMT and other illicit activities upset the balance of the game and, as such, are prohibited under the Terms of Service.

Because we have confirmed the existence of players who are engaging in these illicit activities, we have taken the actions listed below.

Time Period: Nov. 13, 2013 to Nov. 19 2013
- Accounts receiving disciplinary action for RMT advertising: 220
- Accounts receiving disciplinary action for illicit activity: 2039
- Action Details: Permanent ban from FINAL FANTASY XIV.

Included in the above are players who used/obtained gil, items, or actions through fraudulent means. Although we are taking the utmost care and attention to prevent such actions, players who discover any confirmed cheats should, under no circumstances, exploit or disseminate such information. Instead, we ask that players file a report by using the in-game command [System Menu] -> [Support Desk] -> [Contact Us] -> [Report Cheating].

We will continue to take stringent disciplinary action against any accounts with confirmed involvement in RMT/illicit activity; players should take care to steer clear of any activity that violates the Terms of Service.

Letter from the Producer LIVE　Part XI (11/29/2013)



The date has been set for the eleventh installment of Letter from the Producer LIVE! During the livestream, Producer & Director Yoshi-P will be answering questions from fans across the globe. The broadcast will feature the second half of our patch 2.1 exclusive, so don't miss this latest scoop on A Realm Reborn's first major update!

Date & Time
December 14, 2013 from 12:00 (GMT)

Themes
Feast your eyes and ears on the second half of the patch 2.1 exclusive!
Learn more about treasure hunting and the undiscovered fortunes scattered across the realm.

Take a closer look at the Wolves' Den, where players can test their mettle against fellow adventurers.

Check out the new beast tribe quests, which shine new light on Eorzea's more enigmatic denizens.

The eleventh letter LIVE will also include never-before-seen PlayStation 4 gameplay footage, as well as remote play using PlayStation Vita!

Miscellaneous Announcements

URL
YouTube Live
Niconico Live
Twitch

* The URL will be posted in the near future.
* Please note that the audio will be available in Japanese only.
* For viewing on smartphones, iOS 5 or later is recommended.

How to Submit Questions
Prior to the live stream, questions will be accepted in the designated thread on the official forum. It is also possible to ask questions during the live stream. To do so, please follow the official FFXIV Twitter account (@FF_XIV_EN) and send tweets containing the "XIVLive" hash tag.

Official Forum Questions Thread：http://sqex.to/6hK
Official FFXIV Twitter Feed：https://twitter.com/FF_XIV_EN

Themes
Features Coming in Patch 2.1
Wolves' Den
Daily Beast Tribe Quests
Treasure Hunting
Additional Features
PlayStation 4 Preview

Questions will be forwarded to Naoki Yoshida who will attempt to field as many questions as possible, and to the best of his ability.
Those of you who are unavailable to view the live broadcast, never fear! All the questions and answers will be posted on the official Twitter account in real time. Furthermore, a Q&A summary will be released via the official forums shortly thereafter.

Patch 2.1 — A Realm Awoken Trailer Now Live! (12/06/2013)


The realm of Eorzea is ever-changing, and new adventures are on the horizon! Explore the Crystal Tower and discover what untold terrors now lurk within its walls. Test your mettle against the primals in new extreme battles or against fellow adventurers in the Wolves' Den. Develop stronger ties with the beast tribes and learn more of their cultures. Brave new dungeons for spoils and glory, or search for buried treasure. Rise to the defense of the realm once more together with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. All this and much more awaits adventurers in A Realm Awoken!

View the trailer.
(http://sqex.to/kg7)


12/08/2013 5:12 PM
[Maintenance] All Worlds Maintenance (Dec. 16-17)
Extended Maintenance Associated with the Implementation of Patch 2.1

Hello, all you FFXIVers out there! Producer/Director Yoshida here.
Thank you for your continued support of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

I’m happy to announce that the long awaited first major update “A Realm Awoken” will be released on Dec. 17, 2013.

In addition to the update, we are planning to make major updates to the data centres. Therefore, we have will be conducting a 24 hour maintenance (maximum) starting from Dec. 16, 2013. Since the maintenance period is so long, let me take a moment to breakdown what we are planning to do.

- Dispersing the Server Load and Making the World Selection Screen More User-Friendly

Currently, we are operating with data centres (which consists of numerous servers) set up for Japan, North America/Europe.
As of now, players will need to access either one of these data centres before they obtain the World list. However, due to the large number of players that access the data centres, a lot of stress is put on the “lobby servers” which causes the error “Unable to obtain the World list” to appear frequently.

Considering the additional Worlds that we are planning to implement with the release of the game on Steam and PlayStation 4, we would like to address this matter as soon as possible. In order to decrease the frequency of the “Unable to obtain the World list” error as much as possible, we will be splitting the Worlds in to smaller groups for each data centre and making each of the data centres more independent. This whole process should result in a smoother login process and also make it easier for us to quickly enhance the servers when necessary.

- Changing the Number of Instances Assigned to Content with Patch 2.1

As I mentioned previously in the Letter from the Producer LIVE events and Topics, a large number of content will be added in patch 2.1.
Party/Alliance content in FFXIV is structured in a way that several hundred instances can be running at the same time. As you may know, we have been continuously making adjustments to the maximum number of concurrent instances. However, with the large variety of content that will be added in patch 2.1, we will be drastically changing the number of instances assigned to each content (this includes assigning additional instances to the Binding Coil of Bahamut).

Other than that, we will be making various adjustments such as tweaking how the players are matched via Duty Finder and replacing server equipment in order to improve the user-friendliness of the game.

Please note that while we stated that the maintenance will take a maximum of 24 hours, we will be working around the clock so that we can release the patch 2.1 to the public as soon as possible.

Due to the vast amount of tasks that we will be performing, the maintenance period will be much longer than usual. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

Please refer to the information below for details on the maintenance period.

Maintenance Period

At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on all Worlds. Maintenance will consist of various tasks such as splitting the Worlds in to smaller groups for the Japanese and North American/European data centres and replacing server equipment. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

* The World transfer service will be suspended 15 minutes before maintenance begins, and will be unavailable until maintenance has ended.

[Date & Time]
From Dec. 16, 2013 8:00 to Dec. 17, 2013 8:00 (GMT)
* Please note that the maintenance period is maximum amount of time it could take to conduct maintenance. We will do our best to complete the tasks as soon as possible.

[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

Patch 2.1 — A Realm Awoken Trailer Now Live! (12/06/2013)


The realm of Eorzea is ever-changing, and new adventures are on the horizon! Explore the Crystal Tower and discover what untold terrors now lurk within its walls. Test your mettle against the primals in new extreme battles or against fellow adventurers in the Wolves' Den. Develop stronger ties with the beast tribes and learn more of their cultures. Brave new dungeons for spoils and glory, or search for buried treasure. Rise to the defense of the realm once more together with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn. All this and much more awaits adventurers in A Realm Awoken!

View the trailer.
(http://sqex.to/kg7)


12/08/2013 5:12 PM
[Maintenance] All Worlds Maintenance (Dec. 16-17)
Extended Maintenance Associated with the Implementation of Patch 2.1

Hello, all you FFXIVers out there! Producer/Director Yoshida here.
Thank you for your continued support of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

I’m happy to announce that the long awaited first major update “A Realm Awoken” will be released on Dec. 17, 2013.

In addition to the update, we are planning to make major updates to the data centres. Therefore, we have will be conducting a 24 hour maintenance (maximum) starting from Dec. 16, 2013. Since the maintenance period is so long, let me take a moment to breakdown what we are planning to do.

- Dispersing the Server Load and Making the World Selection Screen More User-Friendly

Currently, we are operating with data centres (which consists of numerous servers) set up for Japan, North America/Europe.
As of now, players will need to access either one of these data centres before they obtain the World list. However, due to the large number of players that access the data centres, a lot of stress is put on the “lobby servers” which causes the error “Unable to obtain the World list” to appear frequently.

Considering the additional Worlds that we are planning to implement with the release of the game on Steam and PlayStation 4, we would like to address this matter as soon as possible. In order to decrease the frequency of the “Unable to obtain the World list” error as much as possible, we will be splitting the Worlds in to smaller groups for each data centre and making each of the data centres more independent. This whole process should result in a smoother login process and also make it easier for us to quickly enhance the servers when necessary.

- Changing the Number of Instances Assigned to Content with Patch 2.1

As I mentioned previously in the Letter from the Producer LIVE events and Topics, a large number of content will be added in patch 2.1.
Party/Alliance content in FFXIV is structured in a way that several hundred instances can be running at the same time. As you may know, we have been continuously making adjustments to the maximum number of concurrent instances. However, with the large variety of content that will be added in patch 2.1, we will be drastically changing the number of instances assigned to each content (this includes assigning additional instances to the Binding Coil of Bahamut).

Other than that, we will be making various adjustments such as tweaking how the players are matched via Duty Finder and replacing server equipment in order to improve the user-friendliness of the game.

Please note that while we stated that the maintenance will take a maximum of 24 hours, we will be working around the clock so that we can release the patch 2.1 to the public as soon as possible.

Due to the vast amount of tasks that we will be performing, the maintenance period will be much longer than usual. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

Please refer to the information below for details on the maintenance period.

Maintenance Period

At the following time, we will be performing maintenance on all Worlds. Maintenance will consist of various tasks such as splitting the Worlds in to smaller groups for the Japanese and North American/European data centres and replacing server equipment. During this period, FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn will be unavailable.

We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and thank you for your understanding.

* The World transfer service will be suspended 15 minutes before maintenance begins, and will be unavailable until maintenance has ended.

[Date & Time]
From Dec. 16, 2013 8:00 to Dec. 17, 2013 8:00 (GMT)
* Please note that the maintenance period is maximum amount of time it could take to conduct maintenance. We will do our best to complete the tasks as soon as possible.

[Affected Service]
- FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn

This post has been edited by shojikun: Dec 10 2013, 05:02 PM

The date has been set for the twelfth installment of the Letter from the Producer LIVE! During the livestream, Producer & Director Yoshi-P will be answering questions from fans across the globe. Broadcasting from Osaka, Japan, this will be the first of a two-part special previewing the new adventures to come in patch 2.2!
Date & Time
January 25, 2014, from 12:00 (GMT)

Themes
Enjoy a sneak peek at patch 2.2!
Learn about the coming of Leviathan, the next primal that adventurers will face off against.

Catch a glimpse of the Ruins of Amdapor*, where players will delve deeper into the mysteries of this lost civilization.
* Dungeon name is subject to change.

Check out what new twists await in the new turns of the Binding Coil of Bahamut.

Discover what new cases await the ever-discerning eye of Hildibrand—agent of enquiry, inspector extraordinaire.

Assistant Director Hiroshi Takai will make an appearance to talk about the game's design and answer burning questions from our players.

PlayStation 4 Report
Get the latest information on the release of the PlayStation 4 version!

Miscellaneous Announcements

URL
YouTube Live
Niconico Live
Twitch

* The URL will be posted in the near future.
* Please note that the audio will be available in Japanese only.
* For viewing on smartphones, iOS 5 or later is recommended.

How to Submit Questions
Prior to the live stream, questions will be accepted in the designated thread on the official forum. It is also possible to ask questions during the live stream. To do so, please follow the official FFXIV Twitter account (@FF_XIV_EN) and send tweets containing the "XIVLive" hash tag.

Official Forum Questions Thread：http://sqex.to/s_F
Official FFXIV Twitter Feed：https://twitter.com/FF_XIV_EN

Themes
Leviathan
Binding Coil of Bahamut
Ruins of Amdapor
Questions for Assistant Director Hiroshi Takai

Questions will be forwarded to Naoki Yoshida who will attempt to field as many questions as possible, to the best of his ability.
Those of you who are unavailable to view the live broadcast, never fear! All the questions and answers will be posted on the official Twitter account in real time. Furthermore, a Q&A summary will be released via the official forums shortly thereafter.