Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 14 is currently under a series of distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks that are disrupting gameplay across its North American data centers. Players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis servers have reported frequent disconnections and error messages since the attacks began on November 3.
What’s Happening with Final Fantasy 14’s Servers
DDoS attacks work by flooding a target server with overwhelming traffic, typically from a network of compromised computers or “bots.” This artificial surge in requests prevents legitimate players from maintaining stable connections. While there is no absolute defense against DDoS attacks, Square Enix can mitigate their impact by filtering or rerouting traffic to stabilize affected services.
According to community reports, the most recent wave struck around 1:40 PM Eastern on November 5, with multiple disconnections occurring at random intervals. Players have been posting real-time updates on social media and Reddit, confirming widespread connectivity issues across all four North American data centers.
Square Enix’s Response and Player Impact
Although Square Enix acknowledged the issue in a brief notice on November 4, the disruptions continue as of this writing. Players outside North America—particularly in Europe, Japan, and Oceania—appear unaffected.
The timing of the attacks is especially frustrating, as they arrive shortly after the release of Final Fantasy 14’s 7.35 update, which introduced the new Pilgrim’s Traverse deep dungeon and a collaboration event with Monster Hunter Wilds. Unfortunately, disconnects during solo dungeon runs result in progress loss, leaving many players unable to complete their sessions.
What’s Next for Final Fantasy 14
With Final Fantasy 14’s 7.4 update planned for December, Square Enix faces mounting pressure to strengthen its server protection and restore stability. While the publisher has not disclosed the source or motive behind the attacks, players are hoping for a long-term fix before the next major patch cycle begins.
For now, Square Enix recommends that players on affected servers avoid high-risk activities such as dungeons or raids until connectivity stabilizes.
