Final Fantasy XI Servers Were Scheduled to Shut Down in 2024, but Fans Saved Them
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- Final Fantasy XI producer Yoji Fujito revealed that the game was slated to be shut down in 2024.
- However, fans kept logging in to the game, which the company took as a sign to keep working on it.
- Final Fantasy XI was released in 2002 for the PlayStation 2 and PC. An Xbox 360 version followed four years later.
Final Fantasy XI producer Yoji Fujito revealed that Square Enix considered shutting down the game’s servers in 2024. The game recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary by adding new content.
In his interview with Dengeki Online, Fujito said that the main reason the Final Fantasy XI servers are still standing is because of the players’ sentiment. Automaton reported that after the conclusion of the Voracious Resurgence storyline, the game would enter maintenance mode, essentially stopping updates but doing the bare minimum to keep the servers running.
However, the producer found that players kept logging in despite the game’s latest story series ending. The developers took this as a sign to keep the development going, which prompted them to upgrade the servers and continue implementing new things to the game.
The game’s 23rd anniversary update will include new high-tier mission battlefields, a master trial, new content in the form of Limbus and a race-changing feature. While some of the features were already implemented, the developers mentioned that a few more are coming soon.
Final Fantasy XI was released on May 16, 2002, for the PlayStation 2 and PC. An Xbox 360 version followed four years later.
