With wildfires causing havoc across the Los Angeles region, the team behind Final Fantasy 14 has taken a thoughtful step by pausing the automatic removal of in-game houses on North American servers. This considerate move ensures that players who are grappling with the disasters and unable to connect won’t lose their cherished virtual homes.
On January 9th, exactly at 8:20 p.m. PT, the auto-demolition countdown was put on hold for players using the Aether, Crystal, Dynamis, and Primal data centers. The developers have committed to keeping a close eye on how the situation unfolds in Southern California before they decide to reinstate the countdown. Typically, in the bustling Final Fantasy 14 community, players must log in at least once every 45 days to retain their in-game properties due to the high demand.
Square Enix recently issued a heartfelt statement reflecting this sentiment: “Our thoughts are with everyone affected by the fires in and around Los Angeles. We sincerely hope recovery is swift, and we look forward to welcoming back our community members to FF14 as soon as they’re able.”
According to reports from the Los Angeles Times, the devastating wildfires have claimed at least 10 lives, forced over 100,000 residents to evacuate, ravaged 9,000 structures, and scorched tens of thousands of acres. If you’re in a position to help, the LA Times provides a comprehensive list of charities and organizations currently accepting donations to aid those impacted by this crisis.
