I'm sorry, Square defenders. You have to see it from a consumer point of view too. I understand being overly upset over something you were warned about is, in itself, a bit ignorant. You do however have to consider that not everyone follows interviews. I know of people who decided to play the game simply because it's called Final Fantasy. White knighting the company and ignoring, or demeaning the plight of everyday folk who have a 9-5 isn't okay either.
These aren't 'interviews,' they are literal transparent explanations - far more detailed than anything I have ever seen from any company, let alone a game developer -, the links to which are right there on the launcher. There have been honest apologies given, sincere regret shown as a team has worked their hardest to get something out against the odds. I'm not demeaning the plight of folks who have a 9-5; I'm in that same boat, I've been in those same lines. I understand it sucks.

I'm calling out the entitled behavior of people whose only input on any of this is a voluntary small charge and recurring payment that can be paid for in less than a single work day. Hell, in a lot of places, a single work day can pay for an entire year. I am calling out the ridiculous stances of people who think themselves so important, huffing and puffing about an inconvenience that won't even last that long.

They're already blocking their free trial players from playing. There was a period of time earlier this year where you literally could not buy the game unless you wanted it on Mac.

I don't have to stop defending a corporation - I don't care about SE. I do, however, care very much about the team that brought us FFXIV, because they are single-handedly responsible for doing the absolute impossible.

If I have to choose, I'm absolutely going to stand by the team that continued to work through C-19 and brought us consistent updates while other games did jack. I'll stand by the developers who continued working while one of their own battled cancer and went through chemo while continuing to create the beautiful music we know and love. I'll stand by the team that hosts livestreams where they tell us their plans and what they're aiming for while answering Q&A from their players. I'll stand by the team whose actual job is this game, and not the people who think that their $15 a month somehow entitles them to more than access to a sandbox that they do not own and don't have to upkeep.

You're in line? So am I. You got kicked? So did I. This isn't my first rodeo, and while I can absolutely understand the frustrations, I've been here long enough to know that the queues will be small to non-existent in a couple of weeks (if even), and that there is absolutely no MMO that hasn't experienced this same issue on a launch - minus the launch during a pandemic that caused a massive shortage of critical parts that will not be rectified for another year if not more.

There's far too many entitled people who seem to completely miss that this team is the reason a disaster of a game hasn't just survived, but has thrived and become the competitor they ran to when other companies set themselves on fire. I have no reason to admire the consumers - I have every reason to admire and respect this team, and I will continue to sympathize with a team that is doing their best with one hand tied behind their back due to circumstances outside their control.