The Great FFXIV Exodus of 2024

[ZephyrMenodora]

7.1's 35k down to 27k in less than a week is also the sharpest decline immediately after a patch release we've ever seen.

Well on Twitter they are all not logging in because their mods aren't working lol.

[TBerry]

My sub ends with the release of Portal 3

[NoonDawn]

im not ending my sub, though i am waiting for chaotic AR and FRU atm

[Exmo]

I just eyeballed the numbers and didn't actually calculate exact percentages, so they may have been slightly off, but aren't anywhere near as close as you claim.

5.0 peaked at 41k.
5.1 peaked at 20k.
48% of the playerbase returned for the x.1 patch.

6.0 peaked at 95k.
6.1 peaked at 55k.
58% of the playerbase returned for the x.1 patch.

7.0 peaked at 91k.
7.1 peaked at 35k.
38% of the playerbase returned for the x.1 patch.

Dawntrail peaking lower than Endwalker is also the first time the playerbase has gotten smaller between expansions.

7.1's 35k down to 27k in less than a week is also the sharpest decline immediately after a patch release we've ever seen.

I don't think you can substantiate a pattern based on peak players here. Average players per month would be more reliable.

Plus, I don't think we really need to talk about the context under which EW released. The lock down, the population boom, all the WoW refugees, etc. It shouldn't be surprising that DT's running numbers wouldn't live up to that, given how real world factors have changed. So, being reasonable, the current numbers don't really spell doom for the playerbase.

[BigCheez]

I don't think you can substantiate a pattern based on peak players here. Average players per month would be more reliable.

Plus, I don't think we really need to talk about the context under which EW released. The lock down, the population boom, all the WoW refugees, etc. It shouldn't be surprising that DT's running numbers wouldn't live up to that, given how real world factors have changed. So, being reasonable, the current numbers don't really spell doom for the playerbase.

Why do I hear goalposts moving? It's funny how there wasn't a problem with peak player numbers as a metric until the numbers didn't fit your narrative.

Your 2nd point is also completely irrelevant. Plenty of other games and the wider games industry in general have experienced growth since the pandemic. It's almost 2025. It's time for the Yoshi-P apologists to stop waving COVID around as their one-size-fits-all magic counter-argument that invalidates any and all criticism of the game.

[Exmo]

Why do I hear goalposts moving? It's funny how there wasn't a problem with peak player numbers as a metric until the numbers didn't fit your narrative.

You're imagining I said a whole bunch of things, friend.

Let's just agree to disagree. Hopefully you can understand now that the numbers you see can be interpreted in different ways based on perspective.

[BigCheez]

You're imagining I said a whole bunch of things, friend.

Let's just agree to disagree. Hopefully you can understand now that the numbers you see can be interpreted in different ways based on perspective.

Gaslighting doesn't work in text.

The numbers you share put this month about on par with the same time last year.

About 42% of players returned for patch 7.1, versus 47% for SHB's first patch and 49% for EW's. It's lower than it has been in the past, but it's a far cry from the 50% 30% you claim.

There have been several times in the past 5 years where the number of players was lower, eg December 2023. That said, there's not a significant difference between the peaks and troughs between major releases. The numbers you provide show player numbers are following a similar pattern as always.

[ZavosEsperian]

*incoherent screeching*

Nothing you said here really does anything for you or your argument. While Steam is a small portion of the game's community, it is still an applicable sample size for examining the game's population and trends. This trend is also reflected inside of the LB survey as well, which while also not a flawless system, does reflect the same findings as Steam.

To me, it appears you are just mad people are pointing out statistics which reflect poorly on the game, which results in you smashing the keys of your keyboard in a way to reveal that you are likely a member of the (E)RP community. If you are here because you want dollar store (erotic) writing, I can understand why you are mad someone is dumping on what you find a form of release.

With that said, I have observed many FCs on my Server/Data Center slowly die off in silence, not uttering a word of malcontent, and instead just leaving unannounced and unceremoniously. I've seen people who have been members of the community for over a decade fade out of existence. Those of us who are loud about leaving or our issues with the game are at least trying to make others notice the fatal flaws, but it is those who silently leave who will be missed the most, for many do not announce their departure.

You may choose to live in woeful ignorance of what is going on outside of your (E)RP Venues if you wish, but when popular mod creators for your community start leaving the game, finding other pursuits in life, don't come crying to the forums about it, for there will be no one here left to console you.

If that was a bit much, I will give you a small hit of the substance you need the most:

[CidHeiral]

Again, my issue with the original comment was sweeping the forums as a whole as an invalid view of how the game health fares. It definetly is an indicator, maybe its not to the extent that OP presents it, but a precedent/early symptoms of how there is negative feelings brewing

People on this forum say the game is dying and everyone is leaving every expansion and lo and behold the next expansion comes out and breaks records. There will always be negative sentiment here because this is where people come to complain. That "definetly" isn't indicative of any mass exodus happening and if you think otherwise you're just huffing your own confirmation bias.

[Exmo]

Gaslighting doesn't work in text.

Yes, I was using average players count, not peak. Look at the numbers again with fresh eyes. I never said peak numbers were a good indication of the average playerbase. I don't think peak numbers are useful here, I think average numbers are more useful.