After the disappointing launch of Final Fantasy 14 in September 2010, the characters were mouflon. On the MMO cemetery a cookie has already been acquitted. Who would have thought then that just that FF14 eleven years later belong to the best online role-playing games in the market and will experience an unprecedented hype? But that's exactly what happened in 2021. And much more! Finally, despite the Corona pandemic, the developers have also published an extension. In our rearview special we summarize you again, which happened in the last twelve months exciting in Korea.

Course on End Walker

Already at the New Year of Director and Producer Naomi Yeshiva in January 2021 were two topics on the program, which should employ us purely in December: the continuing enlargement COVID-19 pandemic as well as the new extension for Final Fantasy 14 (Buy Now €25,98). There were no details about the add-on. The great idea of ​​end walker, however, already existed a month later.

Already there stood that we will approach a very special point in the history of FF14. The plot of End walker brings the 10-year-old Saga to Madelyn and Zodiac, which now has accompanied since Patch 1.0, to their end. Otherwise, the features of the extension read exciting. A highlight: The two new jobs Schnitzel and wiser. Producer and Director Naomi Yeshiva is responsible for the successful course of Final Fantasy 14. Source: December

The last patches for Shadow bringers

Although with patch 5.4 in December had only gone online for Final Fantasy 14 online, of course, that did not mean that the Korea heroes had to wait too long for more patches. Here is an overview of the patches that have been published to the final wobbling launch on December 7, 2021:

On January 12, 2021: Patch 5.41 — The reconstruction of Shards continues! On 2 February 2021: Patch 5.45 — New orders for Baum Ancient, Queen Watch and Alliance Raid Delirium Reginae April 13, 2021: Patch 5.5 — Main scenario Death Unto Dawn (Part 1), the tower — paradigm crushers and more

On May 25, 2021: Patch 5.55 — PS5 version, Final Quests around the Queen Guard, 2nd part of the patch 5.5 main scenarios Death Unto Dawn On June 22, 2021: Patch 5.57 brings a new form of server change! On 20 July 2021: Patch 5.58: Raids and The Feast — that has changed everything

Only 22 million users, then came the hype

In the course of the LiveStream for Patch 5.5 on 2 April Naomi Yeshiva proudly stated that more than 22 million players for Final Fantasy 14 have registered. What nobody is guided at the time: the actual 2021 Hype train around FF14 should only drive out of the station.

The first indication of the hype gave the page MMO population in June. For the first time there were more logins for FF14 (2.5 million) than for World of Warcraft (2.19 million). One reason for this: some damped WoW streamers had turned their back their threshing Top Theme and tried Final Fantasy 14 for the first time. Clear that these also brought some of their fans to Korea. As known streamers as Mongol started with Final Fantasy 14, the well-deserved hype started around the Square MMO. Source: December In July, the hype continued: On Steam was Final Fantasy 14 suddenly lie down record numbers. One day before the record had the biggest wow Streamer Mongol starting with the Square-MMO. Also, on Twitch went Final Fantasy 14 through the ceiling, 400 percent more viewers there was in July !

The servers are groaning under the hype

The high number of players access was not of course without consequences. The servers were running at full capacity and there were in the regions of US and EU always queues. Naomi Yeshiva commented on the situation as stunning and unexpected. Timely developers upgrade to the hardware front took before — at least as far as possible. Because of Corona pandemic it was extremely difficult in the summer to get to the necessary parts.

Accordingly, looked serious the situation a month later, because of the hype did not subside easily. In a post Ship wrote:

Due to the current situation, it will probably take longer to implement our large-scale measures. As far as our infrastructure is concerned, the current situation does not look good. However, I promise you that we will continue to invest our best as much as possible. Anyone who wanted to go to the servers of Final Fantasy 14 in the summer, had to practice partly in patience and niggle a smallness. Source: December But the Hype made the chief developer not only for worries: In October, it became known that Final Fantasy 14 is the most profitable game of franchise history. And at the Golden Joystick Awards 2021 and the Game Awards 2021, Final Fantasy 14 could win two categories each.

Finally: The End Walker Launch

Normally, a hype comes around a MMO when a new launch or the release of a large extension is due. All the more remarkable is what we could experience in the summer of 2021. The early start for the new extension end walker was only on 03. December 2021. The official release was followed on December 7th of December 2021.

And the features of the extension can be seen (even if individual content has been submitted only with later patches or become):

New jobs: Weiser and Schnitzel

New playable people: Vera (male) Increased maximum level from 80 to 90 New Cities: Alt-Sharlayan and Radz-At-Han New spacious areas such as labyrinths, Thornier, Garland or Mare Lamentorum New trunks: Arkasodara and Hypocrite

New Threats: Anima and Magus Sisters Challenging new dungeons A new high-level RAID: Pandæmonium Myths Boreas, a new set of alliance raids New PVP content for small players number New character for page-to-page: Estonia Dragon Blood New residential area: Asgard Further content for the gold saucer Let the soul dangle in an island paradise. New equipment and recipes New data center: Oceania New system for travel between data centers

Fantastic Story Final

Colleague Stefan had it in his first impression on FF14: End Walker already described: the developers manage the feat, a story that has accompanied us for more than ten years to a satisfactory end. Everywhere we read how enthusiastically players are the conclusion of history and that they had to repress one or two saints. Some even talk about the best story ever told in an online role-playing game. Here Square has delivered a big cinema.

If only the servers would not be...

Unfortunately, the responsible persons for the final wobbler launch could not suddenly conjure server hardware from the hat. And since the start of the extension wanted an again record-breaking number of players on the servers, the server problems even tightened. Extremely long queues here, annoyed login error there. After all: Who first came to the servers, could mostly enjoy the new content there. In addition, there were so far three weeks as a game time compensation. A fine train from Square Enix!

By the way, on December 21, 2021, 601 has already gone online, with the new Raid Pandæmonium. On 04, January 2022 then patch 6.05 should follow, with the following content:

RAID Challenge Pandæmonium: Asphodels (epic) New allergic stones New recipes for craftsmen The Secret Short: The Exploration

How did you like the year 2021 with and in Final Fantasy 14? How do you rate the extension end walker and the hype in summer? Betray us in the comments!

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