Final Fantasy 14 Stops Automatic Housing Demolition Shortly After Restarting It

Final Fantasy XIV Suspends Housing Demolitions Due to California Wildfires

Square Enix has temporarily halted automatic housing demolitions in Final Fantasy XIV on North American servers due to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. This affects players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers. The suspension, implemented just one day after the resumption of demolitions, is a precautionary measure to accommodate players potentially impacted by the wildfires.

The game typically employs a 45-day auto-demolition timer for inactive housing plots to manage limited housing availability. This timer resets when the owner logs in, incentivizing continued subscription. However, Square Enix periodically pauses these timers during major real-world events to prevent displacement of players facing disruptions like natural disasters. Previous pauses have occurred due to events such as Hurricane Helene.

While a restart of auto-demolitions was previously announced, the wildfires prompted this unexpected suspension, effective January 9th, 2025. No timeline has been provided for the resumption of the timers. Homeowners can still reset their timers to the full 45 days by logging into their estates.

This pause follows a three-month moratorium that concluded on January 8th, 2025. The impact of the wildfires extends beyond the game; other events, including the Critical Role campaign finale and an NFL playoff game, have also been affected.

Square Enix expressed sympathy for those affected by the wildfires and will provide updates regarding the resumption of the auto-demolition timers. The ongoing situation and the recent free login campaign have made for a busy start to 2025 for Final Fantasy XIV players.