Final Fantasy 14 players are dealing with frustrating disconnections and lag spikes once again. The MMORPG is experiencing another wave of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, with North American data centers bearing the brunt of the assault.
This latest attack comes on the heels of a lengthy DDoS campaign that plagued Final Fantasy 14 servers throughout November. Just when players thought they could enjoy the game’s newest content in peace, the disruptions have returned—and the timing couldn’t be worse.
DDoS Attacks Hit Days After Major Patch 7.4 Launch
The new wave of attacks started shortly after Final Fantasy 14 launched Patch 7.4, “Into the Mist,” on December 16. The update brought some highly anticipated content:
- Finale of the popular Arcadion raids series
- New main scenario chapter setting up the next expansion
- Strategy Board feature for planning battle tactics
- Major glamour system overhaul removing job, role, and level restrictions on most armor pieces
Players excited to dive into this fresh content have instead found themselves battling connection issues. The most recent attack on North American servers occurred around 3:30 PM Eastern on December 19, leaving players scrambling to reconnect.
What Is a DDoS Attack and Why Does It Happen?
If you’re wondering what’s actually causing these disruptions, here’s the breakdown:
A DDoS (distributed denial-of-service) attack is when someone maliciously floods a server with massive amounts of traffic all at once. Think of it like thousands of people trying to squeeze through a single doorway simultaneously—everything gets jammed up and nobody can get through.
Why It’s Hard to Stop:
- No server is completely immune to DDoS attacks
- Attackers use networks of compromised computers (botnets) to generate traffic
- Mitigation requires rerouting traffic and implementing countermeasures
- It’s an ongoing cat-and-mouse game between attackers and defenders
Square Enix and its partners can implement various countermeasures to reduce the impact, but completely preventing these attacks is nearly impossible with current technology.
How Square Enix Is Responding
Square Enix has acknowledged the ongoing situation and stated they’re actively monitoring the attacks. Players experiencing disconnections can attempt to log back in, though they’ll likely face lengthy queue times.
Deep Dungeon Protection Added in Patch 7.4:
Learning from the November attacks, Square Enix implemented a safety net for one of the game’s most unforgiving features. Deep Dungeon runs can now be saved if players disconnect and log back in within 10 minutes.
Important caveat: This protection only works if no party members are knocked out during the disconnection. If someone goes down while the server issues happen, all progress is lost and you’ll restart from a previous floor.
Community Reaction and Ongoing Issues
Players have taken to Final Fantasy 14’s official subreddit to share their frustrations and confirm whether sudden disconnections are attack-related or just bad luck. The recurring nature of these DDoS attacks has become a major source of concern for the community.
The Wholesome Bug: MissingNo Deer
Not everything about Patch 7.4 has been frustrating, though. Players discovered a hilarious bug that’s brought the community together in unexpected ways.
A nameless level 1 deer has mysteriously appeared in the Coerthas Western Highlands—an area normally populated by level 50-60 monsters. The Final Fantasy 14 community has affectionately dubbed it “MissingNo” (a reference to the famous Pokémon glitch) and players have been:
- Taking group photos with the deer
- Holding gatherings around it
- Treating it like a celebrity sighting
Despite Square Enix releasing hotfixes on December 19 to address issues with Cosmic Exploration and specific glamour pieces, the MissingNo deer is still roaming free. Whether Square Enix will patch out this beloved bug remains to be seen—many players hope it sticks around.
What Players Can Do Right Now
If you’re experiencing connection issues in Final Fantasy 14:
- Check official channels to confirm if a DDoS attack is ongoing
- Wait a few minutes before attempting to reconnect to avoid getting stuck in queue
- Avoid starting Deep Dungeon runs during suspected attack windows
- Save important progress frequently when possible
- Monitor the subreddit for real-time updates from other players
The Bigger Picture
These repeated DDoS attacks highlight an unfortunate reality of modern online gaming. As games like Final Fantasy 14 continue to grow in popularity and release major content updates, they become increasingly attractive targets for malicious actors.
Square Enix’s proactive measures—like the Deep Dungeon save feature—show they’re taking these threats seriously and working to minimize player frustration. However, until more robust solutions become available industry-wide, these attacks will likely remain an ongoing challenge.
For now, Final Fantasy 14 players will need patience as Square Enix works to keep the servers stable. At least they have the MissingNo deer to brighten their day while they wait.
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Have you been affected by the recent Final Fantasy 14 DDoS attacks? Share your experiences and how you’re dealing with the disconnections!
