Final Fantasy XIV Halts Housing Demolitions Amidst LA Wildfires

Square Enix has temporarily suspended automatic housing demolition timers in Final Fantasy XIV on North American servers due to the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires. This affects players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers. The decision comes just one day after the company had resumed these timers.

The 45-day demolition timers are a standard feature designed to free up housing plots from inactive players and Free Companies. Players can reset their timers by simply logging into their homes. However, Square Enix regularly pauses these timers during significant real-world events to prevent players from losing their homes due to circumstances beyond their control, such as natural disasters. Previous pauses have occurred due to events like Hurricane Helene.

This latest suspension, effective January 9th, 2025, at 11:20 PM Eastern Time, provides a reprieve for affected players. Square Enix has not yet announced when the auto-demolition timers will be reactivated, stating they will monitor the wildfire situation closely. Homeowners can still reset their timers by visiting their properties during this pause.

The impact of the wildfires extends beyond the game, with other events, including the Critical Role campaign finale and an NFL playoff game, also affected. The unexpected pause adds to a busy start to 2025 for Final Fantasy XIV players, following the recent return of the free login campaign.

Key Points:

• Temporary Suspension: Auto-demolitions paused on Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
• Reason: Ongoing Los Angeles wildfires.
• Timeline: Pause initiated January 9th, 2025; resumption date unannounced.
• Player Impact: Affected players can still reset their timers by logging in.

Square Enix expressed its sympathy for those impacted by the wildfires and will provide updates regarding the resumption of the auto-demolition timers as the situation develops.