Square Enix is “aware” of Final Fantasy XIV player numbers dropping, says YoshiP’s other projects will benefit the MMO

Final Fantasy XIV, the critically-acclaimed MMORPG with a free trial, is one of the biggest MMOs around, but player counts have been dropping as of late. Following the Dawntrail expansion, some players have put the game down for a spell as developer Square Enix continues to release buggy updates and fail to address core issues.

Just last week, director and producer YoshiP apologised for the “quality of service” as of later, referring to the sheer amount of QA issues that required repeated hotfixes to remedy. Now, Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu has officially discussed the issues with shareholders.

Square Enix president on the state of Final Fantasy XIV

Speaking to investors at the recent Square Enix shareholders meeting, Kiryu explained that he and everyone else at the studio is “aware” of the current issues plaguing the company’s MMO.

When asked if the company knows about the “decline in game quality and a loss of fans”, Kiryu confirmed that this is indeed the case, and the company is working to fix things. As one of the company’s biggest profit drivers, the president explained that there are plans in place to help the MMO reach its next decade milestone.

“I am aware,” the Square Enix lead explained. “Since Final Fantasy 14 reached a milestone with Endwalker, it has been moving toward the next decade with Dawntrail. The development team is working at full power to ensure that players can enjoy it from 8.0 onward.”

Additionally, Kiryu discussed the fan complaints regarding FFXIV director and producer Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida. Alongside being the director of Square Enix’s MMO, the iconic developer has also taken on other projects.

“He believes that the work he is currently doing concurrently will definitely contribute to Final Fantasy 14 as valuable experience.”

SQUARE ENIX PRESIDENT TAKASHI KIRYU ON YOSHI-P’S ADDITIONAL PROJECTS

Over the past half-decade, YoshiP directed Final Fantasy XVI, produced Fantasian Neo Dimension and is working on the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles. Kiryu explained YoshiP is adamant that working on these other titles will benefit the MMO in the long run.

“There is an opinion that Producer Yoshida, who is juggling multiple roles, may not be able to focus on Final Fantasy 14 due to his busy schedule,” he explained. “But he believes that the work he is currently doing concurrently will definitely contribute to Final Fantasy 14 as valuable experience.”

Prior to today, Square Enix had never confirmed that player numbers are actually dropping within Final Fantasy XIV, but players have noticed. It’s not a mass exodus, it’s not an apocalyptic evacuation, but the game’s typical massive crowds are slightly smaller. Hopefully, those players come back.