FFXIV population decline continues

[Jeeqbit]

Comparison of populations for December going back to 2014:

Comparisons of populations for each X.15 patch going back to 2014:


My reason for making these is to give a sense of if it has fluctuated this much at comparable months or patches.

There are some obvious possible reasons it spiked so high before and returned to how it was: Covid, and the game going viral. Sure, people are quick to blame the content and issues they have, but objectively those were factors that caused spikes around that time.

[AntoniusQuil]

But that isn’t the case though.
I jump in to defend casuals getting things in a heartbeat and even defend them with things like the hairstyle in chaotic or that hard raids are from the beginning of the expansion to the end but I also have to draw the line somewhere because I am a raider myself.
The problem is that the casual / midcore content is backloaded af and not that it isn’t there.
That’s even written in the article itself.
Your example with the undyeable and reused gear is also wrong.
It’s not like this because hard raids take up those resources but because the devs want to milk it till the end with the least amount of effort.
Do I have to remind you that EW had two hairstyles in island sanctuary? That WAS casual content even if not good while most of the entire criticism about criterion was that the rewards sucked.

AGAIN.
Not every damn problem in this game is the fault of one of the two sides but of the devs starving content for so long that they would have to put out double the amount than usual to even get in normal waters again.
Blame the devs for how the game is right now and not the players because the devs decide what to do in the end.

That’s all I say about this whole debate because there are other threads out there.

I see your point, and agree that the devs are to blame, but I don’t see them changing anytime soon.

IMO the best solution to the conflict caused by some cosmetic items being locked behind long-time hardcore or casual content would be making most stuff like glams, cosmetic items or mounts, which are obtainable from pvp currencies, causal grind or hardcore riding, tradeable. It’s the most optimal solution where people who like to grind that particular type of content get good gil, while people who don’t like that content get the item, win-win scenario. At least making the hairstyle and one mount from Chaotic tradable seems like a move in good direction.

And here’s where most of my frustration with hardcore riding community comes from, because whenever the topic of making more items tradeable on mb is mentioned, it’s always hardcore raiders who get really hostile and protest this idea (with a lot of typical “git gud talk”)

[Larirawiel]

Comparison of populations for December going back to 2014:
https://i.imgur.com/yuGlLfG.png
Comparisons of populations for each X.15 patch going back to 2014:
https://i.imgur.com/JUXAfn0.png

My reason for making these is to give a sense of if it has fluctuated this much at comparable months or patches.

A good indicator are the steam numbers:
https://steamdb.info/app/39210/charts/#6y

The game has a declining population ATM. Endwalker could retain many players with new content patches. In DT the content patch did almost nothing.



Cheers

[Jeeqbit]

Based on the two graphs, there are some obvious possible reasons it spiked so high before and returned to how it was: Covid, and the game going viral.

Now sure, people are quick to blame the content and issues they have, but objectively those were factors that caused spikes around that time.

[Naoki34]

Well listen, personally, I don't care.

Like Stormblood, which many people didn't like for many reasons. They leave and they come back in droves in a future expansion.

I think it's good that it's going down, so maybe they'll rethink bringing back a scenario like Shadowbringer and Endwalker.

Doing an expansion with an MSQ that displeased 50% of FFXIV players will make them think about what to do to make it better, it's all about the metacritic score of the players, don't look at the ones who got a check from the publishers.

The gameplay is there, but for the MSQ, we're back to being Npc followers like before ShB and EW. And we've even had off-topic BGM and old BGM reused from ARR. I'd like to relive one of our adventures, not that of a WoL Npc who reacts with some emotion to the adventures of Wuk Lamat and his suicidal half-brother who jumps in front of a dinosaur with arms spread wide LOL. Are you sure you're the ruler of Knowledge?

If it had just been successful, we'd have had the same for the sequel, so wait & see. On the other hand, 1M out of 30M is fine.
There are MMOs that would like to have at least half of the total.

Ps: In the meantime, it's sales time, and a good time to buy Persona 3 Reload at 40% off. Don't worry. And Honkai Star Rail 3.0 is being released in 10 days, so all's well.
I'll be back to ventilate my housings.

[Exmo]

Comparison of populations for December going back to 2014:

Comparisons of populations for each X.15 patch going back to 2014:


My reason for making these is to give a sense of if it has fluctuated this much at comparable months or patches.

There are some obvious possible reasons it spiked so high before and returned to how it was: Covid, and the game going viral. Sure, people are quick to blame the content and issues they have, but objectively those were factors that caused spikes around that time.

This is the long and the short of it. Anyone who ignores the real world context here is just trying to sell you something.

[Fawkes]

Comparison of populations for December going back to 2014:


My reason for making these is to give a sense of if it has fluctuated this much at comparable months or patches.

There are some obvious possible reasons it spiked so high before and returned to how it was: Covid, and the game going viral. Sure, people are quick to blame the content and issues they have, but objectively those were factors that caused spikes around that time.

That graph doesn't really align with covid. It shows a slight downturn in december 2020, which is after everyone was isolated at home.

[BigCheez]

Comparison of populations for December going back to 2014:

Comparisons of populations for each X.15 patch going back to 2014:


My reason for making these is to give a sense of if it has fluctuated this much at comparable months or patches.

There are some obvious possible reasons it spiked so high before and returned to how it was: Covid, and the game going viral. Sure, people are quick to blame the content and issues they have, but objectively those were factors that caused spikes around that time.

Can we please stop pretending that people are playing less videogames since COVID.

CSGO/CS2


WoW


Other games aren't struggling with declining player numbers since COVID. This is a FFXIV problem and the problem is the game.

[sindriiisgaming]

Can we please stop pretending that people are playing less videogames since COVID.

CSGO/CS2


WoW


Other games aren't struggling with declining player numbers since COVID. This is a FFXIV problem and the problem is the game.

I'm going to be real I dont understand how XIV is second top MMO. almost all of its systems are problematic or archaic, nothing feels finalized or fleshed out. and its been this way for a very long time. it seams like the attention of WOW players due to the success of SHB has only drawn attention to this more for all to see

[AmiableApkallu]

Endwalker could retain many players with new content patches. In DT the content patch did almost nothing.

And how, pray tell, did Endwalker achieve this? Reviewing patch notes, here's what I see:

Patch 6.01 and 7.01:

• Normal raid

Patch 6.05 and 7.05:

• Savage raid
• Treasure hunt

Patch 6.1 and 7.1:

• MSQ
• Alliance raid
• EX3
• Unreal
• 6.1 only: Final role quest, Crystalline Conflict
• 7.1 only: Pelupelu society quests

Patch 6.11 and 7.11:

• Ultimate

Patch 6.15 and 7.15:

• Capstone Studium/Wachumeqimeqi quest
• Hildebrand
• Custom deliveries
• 6.15 only: Omega and Tataru quests, Arkasodara society quests
• 7.15 only: Chaotic alliance raid

At this point in the patch cycles, the only content Endwalker has over Dawntrail is a few one-and-done quests and… Crystalline Conflict.