Final Fantasy 14 Hit With DDoS Attack

06.05.2024 - 22:58 / gamerant.com / Square Enix / Eric Law

Final Fantasy 14 is currently being targeted by a DDoS attack, causing disruption to fans attempting to play the game. Until it is resolved, Final Fantasy 14 players may want to hold off on attempting to log into the critically-acclaimed MMORPG.

It is no exaggeration to say Final Fantasy 14 is one of the biggest MMORPGs on the market. The game developers are currently putting the finishing touches on Dawntrail, meaning players are starting to flock back to the game to prepare for the new expansion’s impending release.

Unfortunately, Final Fantasy 14’s popularity has attracted the attention of some malicious actors. On May 6, fans began experiencing severe server problems while trying to log in and play Final Fantasy 14. Many suspected a DDoS attack, causing it to trend on Twitter before Final Fantasy confirmed the cyber assault was occurring, and revealed it was investigating the incident and working on countermeasures. However, until it is resolved, players on all Final Fantasy 14 servers should expect disconnects, difficulties logging in, and disruptions during gameplay.

DDoS stands for distributed denial-of-service. The underhanded tactic is used to disrupt online services and games by flooding servers with hundreds or thousands of bots who send false login attempts and other useless information to the target. Akin to clogging a highway with empty cars to slow down the traffic of real drivers, these malicious cyberattacks can plague just about any online server, including live-service games like Overwatch 2 and MMORPGs like Final Fantasy 14.

There are ways to counter and shut down DDoS attacks, but they often take time to implement, as there are multiple ways these attacks can manifest. Final Fantasy 14 is actively searching for the assailant, so hopefully the issue can be resolved before long. In the meantime, players may want to avoid the game entirely, because those who attempt to brave may encounter unexpected issues, such an unavoidable Cosmo Arrow attack in the Omega Protocol, as shared by FF14 fan Aruzanna.

Dawntrail itself is set to release on July 2, but all players can get started in early access on June 28 if they pre-purchase the new Final Fantasy 14 expansion. That said, fans should be aware that any MMORPG expansion release can come with its own login issues, even without DDoS attacks. Hopefully, the recent server upgrades and expansions can help Final Fantasy 14’s next release have a smooth launch – and that no further DDoS attacks plague it.

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