There has not been a single major patch without a critical issue since Endwalker.

[Deveryn]

This is just a shot in the dark, but all of this coincides with Final Fantasy XVI's development...

I can't wait for that game to be done, because as much as I love the game and Creative Business Unit III, I can't help but feel they're spread a bit too thin because of XVI.
That's just speculation on my part though.

If you shoot enough bullets in the dark, you're bound to hit something.

One really has little to do with the other, outside of being handled by the same people. Things happen. DC travel is a brand new feature and it has absolutely nothing to do with one person or another having been moved over to XVI.