The Great FFXIV Exodus of 2024

[XtremePrime]

I don't believe an exodus will happen, most casual players are of the opinion that the game is fine, and this is the player base that doesn't visit the forums or engage too much with communities built outside of the game itself.
There's definitely room for improvement with upcoming patches, but this is by no means will kill FFXIV.

[Connor]

One thing I will say is that the game really feels empty at the times I play. Like you barely ever see other players online anymore. Even Solution Nine and Tuliyollal are close to ghost towns lol. Queues are abysmal even as a healer because it feels like there’s just so few people actually playing anymore. I tried queueing for the XI raid recently, every role including healer had a wait time of 30 minutes+ lol. PvP? Good luck finding the 71 other players to get a match.

Exodus or not it feels like a bunch of people have stopped played and it’s becoming more and more noticeable

[Kohashi]

One thing I will say is that the game really feels empty at the times I play. Like you barely ever see other players online anymore. Even Solution Nine and Tuliyollal are close to ghost towns lol. Queues are abysmal even as a healer because it feels like there’s just so few people actually playing anymore. I tried queueing for the XI raid recently, every role including healer had a wait time of 30 minutes+ lol. PvP? Good luck finding the 71 other players to get a match.

Exodus or not it feels like a bunch of people have stopped played and it’s becoming more and more noticeable

I made a character during late EW on a US server and I was blown away by the sheer amount of people everywhere.

Mind you when I did my NA Character EU was also very alive but it doesn't even come close to the population I've seen there. I did contemplate moving there despite some of the drawbacks. I rather have a higher ping but have PF fill faster.

[Connor]

I made a character during late EW on a US server and I was blown away by the sheer amount of people everywhere.

Mind you when I did my NA Character EU was also very alive but it doesn't even come close to the population I've seen there. I did contemplate moving there despite some of the drawbacks. I rather have a higher ping but have PF fill faster.

My experience of Endwalker was mostly the same on EU, it felt like there was a much more steady stream of active players doing content. Dawntrail was the same for the first few weeks, but it feels like there’s been a huge drop-off of players recently.

And before anyone gives me shit I’m saying feels like and not literally is , because I don’t have the actual statistics to determine such.

[Kohashi]

My experience of Endwalker was mostly the same on EU, it felt like there was a much more steady stream of active players doing content. Dawntrail was the same for the first few weeks, but it feels like there’s been a huge drop-off of players recently.

And before anyone gives me shit I’m saying feels like and not literally is , because I don’t have the actual statistics to determine such.

Fair enough and you are right with significant drop off recently.

I pretty much exclusively raid so I am not sure how populated the towns are or finding people for other stuff but, in Abyssos it was split with Chaos vs Light, then for the most part Anabeseios felt very healthy to me, from 6.4 into Echo. There were a LOT of PFs with different prog points. In DT it was really lively the first 3 weeks and then the prog points were extremely divided, either from the start or clear parties that took hours to fill.

[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.

Tired of seeing the same mechanics reused, tired of invisible last second mechs, it's lazy and uninspired. Raiding has become a joke and EX trials are just so blahhh I'm like yea don't wanna be here anymore.

I'll play another game instead and move on I'm beyond disappointed the direction of this game with wanting to hold hands, and do stupid light party mechs I want individual responsibility back.

Imma just hope AoC or Chrono Odyssey or maybe Archeage chronicles can bring back the love of MMOs instead of a waiting lobby for content that doesn't matter.

[Colt47]

Fair enough and you are right with significant drop off recently.

I pretty much exclusively raid so I am not sure how populated the towns are or finding people for other stuff but, in Abyssos it was split with Chaos vs Light, then for the most part Anabeseios felt very healthy to me, from 6.4 into Echo. There were a LOT of PFs with different prog points. In DT it was really lively the first 3 weeks and then the prog points were extremely divided, either from the start or clear parties that took hours to fill.

End game this time around was the worst it has been possibly ever. This is the easiest savage has ever been but it also has been the worst in terms of progression for the less dedicated. The same thing kind of comes across with the latest EX trial with the meteor drops and the ice bridges. From what I have been able to figure out, people have been jumping into groups that are farther than their established prog points since they either can't find enough people to prog at the point they are at or don't know what prog point they are at. That issue of finding people at the right prog point cut both ways which doesn't help things.

Additionally, we lost the ability to gather on Aether from other world servers, which has changed the culture of the servers again. Primal is a dumpster fire for PF progging now...

[Archeron]

The decline of this games population is VERY noticeable from my perspective. If my characters being in dead FC's wasn't a big enough sign, items on the marketboard simply are not selling at a pace that would even match Endwalker 6.5 numbers. I've had to expand onto my alts retainers where previously everything I got from quick ventures would sell faster than I could accumulate it. Naturally this consisting of leveling gear, housing items, and certain valuable crafter items would suggest a bleed off is occuring at least as far as people currently leveling jobs is concerned, and I've noticed more houses being auto demolished on even the populated data centres.

The numbers likely aren't pretty. I wouldn't call it a mass exodus, but more of a continued bleed off that started after 6.0 (Yes, Endwalker). Honestly Yoshi P only has so much goodwill, and it's quickly running out. The people I speak to ingame regularily are frustrated with how little content comes with each patch. Yoshi P overpromises, under-delivers. People are getting sick of it. It feels like Yoshi P/CBU 3 has specifically pandered to all the raiders, and ignored the rest of his community. An expansion coming out and being controversial is one thing, but to also have it come out and be lacking any content capable of player retention is inexcusable for a subscription MMO. I expect the downward trend to continue until at least 8.0.

[Catwho]

The other thing is that there are other MMO patches and expansions coming out again right now. LotR online just had an expansion, Wow has a patch, Brighter Shores is coming out in beta, and some other stuff.

I think it's okay to fall out of love with a game, and to go try new things. People can try the new stuff, put their subs on pause for a patch cycle, and if they decide they don't like the new MMOs, they can always come back.

You'll lose your house, but if you are unsubbing, you're giving that up anyway. (Psssst apartments are permanent.)

Add in the holidays and.... yeah? Seems like a perfect time to take a break. Either you'll miss the game or miss your friends enough to come back, or you won't.

[Soraki-Muppe]

In my opinion this is by far the worse state the game has been in since 2.0, and it is time they make changes, to the story direction which at the moment is bad with WoL being made an npc, to the patch formula which does not work when there is 4-5 months between each patch, to the speed at which the real casual content is rolled out since 1 year from an expansions launch is just insane.

As for playing other games. That is what I have been doing.