As SE have already said, they have no plans to shutdown FFXI entirely. They have announced a date when they will cease further updates/expansions etc. But they will keep the game running beyond that, with bug fixes etc.

And it would be highly illogical for them to go from having multiple servers, to zero servers. Much more likely would be a gradual decrease in servers from the current number, down to four, two, one.

So, the real question would be, on all the servers today, combined, how many seriously 'devoted' fans are there. People who will play FFXI core game without further updates. I can name six such people in my Friend List. So I am guessing there are quite a few of us spread across all the servers.

So, assuming the predicted trend of console players quitting rather than getting a PC, other players quitting because they won't play without new content, etc. we can assume that a substantial number of people will quit. And since it would make no sense to shutdown a game with lots of half empty servers, when you could just merge them onto a couple of full and very devoted-player servers, this is what I would expect to happen.

I will certainly pay subs and play the game till the end, whenever that is. I know a lot of people who feel the same. If all those 'devoted' people were condensed onto one or two servers, would their combined subscription fees be enough to keep those one/two servers running without the expense of updates/expansions? I think so.

I am still working on my Empy Afterglow. At the current rate it should be finished in about ten years lol. So I'm not expecting to finish it. But I'm still working on it. Also, in 2004 I took an oath to defend the good people of Windurst, to protect the sanctuary of Heavens Tower and defend the Star Sibyl. To protect them from the ferocious hordes of darkness. To defend with my life, and I will keep my oath to the very end.