Final Fantasy XIV Suspends Housing Demolitions Due to California Wildfires
Square Enix has temporarily halted automatic housing demolitions in Final Fantasy XIV on North American servers due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. This affects players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers. The suspension, implemented just one day after the resumption of demolitions, is a precautionary measure to accommodate players potentially impacted by the wildfires.
The game typically employs a 45-day auto-demolition timer for inactive housing plots to manage limited housing availability. This timer resets when the owner logs in, incentivizing continued subscription. However, Square Enix occasionally pauses these timers during significant real-world events to prevent unintended consequences for players facing disruptions. Previous pauses have been implemented in response to events such as Hurricane Helene.
While a restart of auto-demolitions was previously announced, this new pause, effective January 9th, 2025, at 11:20 PM Eastern Time, supersedes that plan. No timeline has been given for the resumption of the timers, with Square Enix stating they will monitor the situation. Homeowners can still reset their timers to the full 45 days by logging into their estates.
This latest pause adds to a busy start to 2025 for Final Fantasy XIV players, following the recent return of the free login campaign. The impact of the wildfires extends beyond the game, with other events such as the Critical Role campaign finale and an NFL playoff game also affected. The duration of the housing demolition suspension remains uncertain.
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Key Points:
- Temporary Suspension: Auto-demolitions paused on Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
- Reason: Ongoing Los Angeles wildfires impacting player accessibility.
- Duration: Currently undetermined; Square Enix monitoring the situation.
- Player Action: Homeowners can still reset their 45-day timers by logging in.
