The Great FFXIV Exodus of 2024

I’ll not mince words because this should be clear to anyone who has been around for a while. Very recently an unprecedented amount of people have been talking about unsubscribing, or have already done so. I’m curious to know what you think about it. Does it represent the silent majority? Are your in game friends talking about taking a break or leaving entirely? Has your fc become more quiet? And most importantly, has Square Enix noticed?

I’ve also seen players express how they have not moved on yet but are considering it. Some have stated they are mainly still subscribed to keep their house but aren’t logging in anymore. A common sentiment right now is that people feel like there is no content left to do for them and/or they dislike the direction this game is heading.

I did a quick sweep of the threads I’ve been active in, and these quotes below are just from the past month. Seriously, has there ever been a month in the history of this game when so many people have simultaneously announced that they are done?

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Originally Posted by xxmiamorecadenza

My own sub ends in January. It’ll be my first time in 5 years of letting it go.

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Originally Posted by Sharkie

I left the Discord and uninstalled the game, and now I'm waiting for my sub to lapse.

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Originally Posted by Elkanah

I think once my sub is up in december, Ill probably go back to xi fulltime till mh: wildlands releases in february.

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Originally Posted by Eraden

Mao finally cancelled subscription

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Originally Posted by Awful

Can't say I'm surprised glad my sub is ending here soon.

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Originally Posted by VictorTheed

I'm now in my retirement tour & plan on retiring from 14 when I finish DT story & 7.1

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Originally Posted by KurenXIV

I no longer feel I am getting value for my monthly sub. After years of supporting the game (from ARR till now) it's clear SE doesn't want to invest in the game any more; and I'd rather not pay monthly just to have my money go towards more failed projects of theirs.

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Originally Posted by Gurgeh

Unsubed.
...
No friends. A Bad taste in my mouth. No 'enjoyable' BS free 'gameplay' for me.

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Originally Posted by Sensui

Unsubbed. Issues as listed in previous threads.

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Originally Posted by Reinha

I've unsubbed because square enix seems to have forgotten what this game is for.

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Originally Posted by Ritsugamesh

Cancelled my legacy sub (yes, Legacy - true ride or die FF player here) because this patch held about 8 hours of engaging content

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Originally Posted by Zeastria

Update: i have destroyed my house and canceled my sub, bye.

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Originally Posted by Ephremjlm

I don't plan on renewing my sub until 7.2 after it runs out (idk maybe ill stick around for starlight).

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Originally Posted by Moqi

I haven't paid for this game since June and it's been more than 2 weeks since I've used my free time so idk why I'm still allowed to post but I'll stay as long as I can to air out my grievances.

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Originally Posted by GoatOfWar

My sub expires this week and i won't be resubbing until at least the next tier, but idk if i want to raid anymore even.

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Originally Posted by Turtledeluxe

As someone who unsubscribed after months of feedback, allow me to explain. People unsub when they hit their individual limit and give up.

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Originally Posted by IvoryHawk

i left my sub to run out in 2 days

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Originally Posted by dies_irae

i already unsubbed both my accounts

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Originally Posted by Rannie

Quite honestly I'm going to cancel the sub again when the three months are done and me resubbing later will depend on if Yoshi P can get his shit back together with this game and stop being so out of touch.

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Originally Posted by BabyYoda

I cancelled my subscription for this game after 1800 days being subscribed and I will not return till 8.0 hoping things changed to the better, see you in 2 years.

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Originally Posted by Wojnar

I unsubbed for the first time in more than 1000 days just after 7.05. There is nothing to do, my whole fc quit the game.

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Originally Posted by Ardeth

I'm out. Last two days. Haven't logged in since the 30th. I'm pretty much done for the foreseeable future.

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Originally Posted by Astronema

After this new dungeon I'm done. Unsubscribed. don't care if my house gets auto demolished anymore.

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Originally Posted by Einnecy

My subscription ends in 7 days and I will not be renewing. There's a lot of reasons for it. I already swore on it once, but 7.1 was the final nail on the coffin.

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Originally Posted by lolnotacat

Gonna hand over my FC house to a friend this weekend then hit the cancel button.

Editing to add these after the thread's creation.

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Originally Posted by Wolferey

Same here, sub ends in 4 days.

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Originally Posted by Elissar

That's it...i am voting with my wallet

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Originally Posted by Aidorouge

my subscription will not be renewing this December because I clearly was not, or ever was, this game's target audience.

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Originally Posted by Tabmow

My sub runs out at the end of the month then im done.

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Originally Posted by Renka777

i've unsubed for the 1st time and i might comeback for 7.2 or before if square enix put the auto demo house timer back in europe (spain water issue)... but i might not comeback at all tbh

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Originally Posted by Atlas-04

On and off but consistent player since ARR and I have canceled my sub for the foreseeable future.

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Originally Posted by Freeflare

I kept my subscription running with minimal playtime up until Dawntrail's release, because I had faith that something at least enjoyable would be offered, but after keeping it open for one more month to wait for the first patch and realizing I don't want to be a part of this story anymore, I'm calling it here.

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Originally Posted by Vesplume

My sub runs out in a few days

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Originally Posted by Cyllia

I un-subbed because I'm tired of seeing the same mechanics, PF being so dead, awful fight designs, and im just bored when I log on.

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Originally Posted by CamuiKushi

My six month sub is finally up in 10 days. I'll be unsubbing for at least a month.

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Originally Posted by Silhart

none of this will really matter once my sub is up.

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Originally Posted by Vizi

Unsubbed yesterday after being on a sub spree for around 3 years, with very high chances of not coming back.

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Originally Posted by genuine_stranger

My sub will run out at the end of January and I don't know if I come back for the next expansion.

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Originally Posted by Onxia

Turned my account off today.

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Originally Posted by DynnDiablos

I am at the point where I am ready to end my sub until a month before 8.0 and blast through the 7.X content then.
...
However, unless 8.0 looks really compelling, I may not come back at all.

Don't care. Don't have loyalty to a videogame.

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Originally Posted by Reinha

Seriously, has there ever been a month in the history of this game when so many people have simultaneously announced that they are done?

From someone that's been playing MMOs since Meridian 59, About every MMO with a that's had a decent player base that's existed for a decent amount of time has this happen.

The forums are in no way how to gauge the player-base stability for population queries in any game. They are frankly the vocal minority of the game. The majority of players don't even come to the forums for several reasons, one of them being how just absolutely toxic forums are. Most players would only come to seek out resolve to a problem and come across forums with an internet search related to the issue. The problem is SE reads these and other forums for ideas, and take them most of the time as gospel. They implement dumb ass changes that either no one asked for, or interpreted how they think it should be done, and get it totally screwed up. Some things are still that way since implementation and a certain Director's ego won't allow that to be changed.

In summary: No, people treating this space as an airport and announcing their departure is minuscule at best, and with their alleged 30 million player-base headcount they boast, and the 200 rewards they've won, the 'people leaving in droves' is quite actually the knee-jerk reaction that the drama-infested forum-base wants to see. The majority in the mean time will continue to play and pay, continue to feed the online store, and enjoy the game they love to play.

I do enjoy this game, but I enjoy it more when all my friends are playing too. We do our thing, make our jokes in Discord, live, laugh, hate and love all aspects of the game. Yes, I've even thought about just leaving, but am I so pissed off at the game because of it? Not in the totality of the game, no. Certain aspects that are a small percentage - sure, no one will be happy with every single aspect of the game, but the overall picture is something more people need to take a look at. Not just a couple of patches of an annoying character. Every game has those, you won't ever escape that.

Everybody knows that the vast majority of people on the forum have been complaining about the games for years and it was just a matter of time for some to leave.
Party finder still looks as healthy as usual, especially for an odd numbered patch.

If you hang out here long enough, you will end up thinking everyone hates the game, but you quoted maybe 20 people vs millions of players who play the game. Most people who play casually are unaware this place even exists.

These people are claiming they're going to leave, wherever they follow through is another matter.

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Originally Posted by Greyhawk

The forums are in no way how to gauge the player-base stability for population queries in any game. They are frankly the vocal minority of the game. The majority of players don't even come to the forums for several reasons, one of them being how just absolutely toxic forums are. Most players would only come to seek out resolve to a problem and come across forums with an internet search related to the issue. The problem is SE reads these and other forums for ideas, and take them most of the time as gospel. They implement dumb ass changes that either no one asked for, or interpreted how they think it should be done, and get it totally screwed up. Some things are still that way since implementation and a certain Director's ego won't allow that to be changed.

[snip for lenght]

And what would you take to gauge the players representativity?
- The social media. Twitter is still ok, but both subreddit now kinda align with the forum, even the one that was known to be place where you were downvoted to oblivion when you dared to criticized the game. If you go in the comments, you'll see the same kind of "I cancelled my sub" comments, on a far larger scale.
- the numbers we have access to? LuckyBancho, considered as a trustworthy source goes that way, we're bleeding players, and are nearly back to pre ShB numbers.
- You could also use the activity of the game on twitch, but there too it's not so good. Big streamers that used to play FFXIV now only play occasionally, most smaller streamer that were nearly FFXIV only now play other heavily play other things. The FFXIV category has fallen down so much over the last 6 to 9 month.

And those are only the one that seem obvious, I could probably find others if I thought a little more about it.

Now, sure, the game is still far from being dead, but there is moment where you have to consider the possibility that, for once, the forum might be representative of the global feeling and not be "a vocal minority". Every hints point to the direction the game is in crisis, yet there you are, contiuing to pretend the forum are not representative on principle.

I don't think there's gonna be an exodus of any sorts, mainly because majority of players don't care how the game will turn out to be, so long it's a game that respects your time.

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Originally Posted by Volgia

If you hang out here long enough, you will end up thinking everyone hates the game, but you quoted maybe 20 people vs millions of players who play the game. Most people who play casually are unaware this place even exists.

These people are claiming they're going to leave, wherever they follow through is another matter.

From yoshi P’s own “how we recovered from 1.0” the people leaving who actually give enough of a damn about the game to come here and complain is a far worse omen than losing one or two completely silent players

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Originally Posted by Supersnow845

From yoshi P’s own “how we recovered from 1.0” the people leaving who actually give enough of a damn about the game to come here and complain is a far worse omen than losing one or two completely silent players

To be honest this is just a bubble of perpetually being angry at the game and hanging out here too long. I go into the game and ask about people's feelings about the game and they're just a neutral "It's fine". That's the general vibe of people playing DT.

I came here to voice my disdain for Endwalker and it's game design. About DT's stale story and content structure, and I agree with a lot of the disatisfaction that the forums reflect, but our opinion here barely matters when 90% of the community really doesn't care about the way things are going, they log in, they do their roulettes, dailies and savage weeklies, and log out.