Final Fantasy XIV's latest expansion, Dawntrail, has launched in early access with impressive server performance, thanks to extensive preparations by Square Enix. Naoki Yoshida assured players during the Dawntrail media tour that the servers were ready for the influx of users. This assurance has proven accurate, as the launch has been notably smooth, a stark contrast to the troubled launch of the previous expansion, Endwalker.
In the past, players experienced long queues and frequent disconnections, especially Error 90002. For Dawntrail, players have reported significantly shorter queue times. Some players encountered a queue of over 1000 but waited only 10 minutes, while others logged in within 5 to 20 minutes despite similar numbers. These improvements reflect the team's successful preparations.
Yoshida emphasized that the smoother queues do not indicate a drop in the game's popularity. He stated previously:
"Well, there isn't that congestion, so it must mean that people have dropped out of Final Fantasy XIV right? Well, I would really appreciate it if you could inform those types of people that it's just down to the fact that we have been putting in a lot of effort and a lot of preparation to help our players."
Square Enix credits the smooth launch to data center expansions, additional worlds, and better server performance. Since early access started on June 28, 2024, player numbers have been very high, but logins have been seamless. Square Enix wrote in the official Final Fantasy XIV Blog:
“Since the start of early access on Friday June 28, 2024, we have been experiencing extraordinary player counts, but the logins have been exceptionally smooth thus far due to our data center expansions, additional worlds, and improvements to server performance.”
Despite the success, there have been minor issues. Some players have faced bugs in the Syrcus Tower alliance raid, chat problems, and Xbox freezing. However, these issues are being addressed promptly.
Dawntrail’s launch day peak reached 92,039 players according to steamdb, close to Endwalker's record of 95,150. The game’s popularity remains high, with more servers and improved data center travel helping manage congestion.
Overall, the launch of Dawntrail has been a significant improvement over past expansions, demonstrating Square Enix's commitment to providing a smooth gaming experience for its players.
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