FF14 player count reached the lowest point in 4 years. We lost 75% of the playerbase.

[XtremePrime]

Wasn't End Walker supposed to be the end of the story anyway?

Very much so. It was suppose to be the end of the story arc that began in ARR regarding the Hydaelyn and the Ascians/Ancients.
Endwalker gave people a perfect.. well- end. An epic fight at the end of the universe where we become the hero that saved everyone.

So of course all eyes were on Squeanix to show us where our next adventure is going to be... and boy did they miss the mark

[Jason_Ashford]

EW was supposed to be a definitive end for Amaurot's influence especially, but they clearly had no idea where to go from there, so we got Azem's dimensional key immediately afterwards and now the Ascians are back in play.

Very much so. It was suppose to be the end of the story arc that began in ARR regarding the Hydaelyn and the Ascians/Ancients.
Endwalker gave people a perfect.. well- end. An epic fight at the end of the universe where we become the hero that saved everyone.

So of course all eyes were on Squeanix to show us where our next adventure is going to be... and boy did they miss the mark

I distinctly remember Yoshi-P saying Endwalker would finish Zodiark and Hydaelyn's story. I don't remember him specifically stating that the ascians were done, especially when there were several of them that were still active and unaccounted for at the time that Emet Selch and Elidibus met their end.

I think it is also presumptuous to assume they are going to retread the ascian plotline. Remember, the only ones who were keeping the ascended ascians focused on reviving the ancient world and Zodiark was the unsundered trio and all of them are gone now. Far more likely we will be seeing storylines revolving around ascians who are now untethered and are free to pursuit their own desires.

The events of Alexandria and the 9th are strong evidence that they are not interested in rejoinings anymore. Their use of souls would have abhorred Emet Selch and Elidibus who want all the shards of each soul to rejoin together.