Final Fantasy XIV Halts Housing Demolitions Due to California Wildfires
Square Enix has temporarily suspended automatic housing demolition timers in Final Fantasy XIV on North American servers. This action, affecting players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers, comes in response to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. The company has not yet announced when the demolition timers will resume.
The automatic demolition system, designed to free up housing plots for inactive players after a 45-day period, is typically paused during significant real-world events. This ensures that players impacted by circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters, don't lose their in-game homes. Players can still reset their timers by logging into their homes.
This latest pause follows a previous moratorium that ended just a day prior, on January 8th, which was implemented due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The current suspension, effective January 9th, is specifically related to the LA wildfires. Square Enix is closely monitoring the situation and will provide an update on the resumption of the demolition timers.
The impact of the wildfires extends beyond the game; the popular web series Critical Role also postponed a major event due to the fires, and an NFL playoff game was relocated.
The unexpected pause adds to a busy start to 2025 for Final Fantasy XIV players, following the recent return of the free login campaign. The duration of the current housing demolition suspension remains uncertain.
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