FFXIV Suspends Auto House Razing

Final Fantasy XIV Temporarily Suspends Housing Demolitions Due to California Wildfires

Square Enix has announced a temporary halt to automatic housing demolition timers in Final Fantasy XIV on North American servers. This action, affecting players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers, comes in response to the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles. The suspension was implemented just one day after the company resumed these timers.

The automatic demolition system, designed to free up housing plots for inactive players and Free Companies, typically employs a 45-day timer. This timer resets when the plot owner logs in, incentivizing continued subscription. However, Square Enix acknowledges that real-world events, such as natural disasters, can prevent players from accessing the game. Therefore, temporary suspensions are implemented to prevent unintended loss of housing. Players will receive advance notice before the timers resume.

This latest suspension follows a previous moratorium related to Hurricane Helene's aftermath. While a restart of demolitions was initially announced, the Los Angeles wildfires prompted this immediate pause, effective Thursday, January 9th, at 11:20 PM Eastern Time. No date has been set for the resumption of automatic demolitions. Players on affected data centers can still reset their timers to the full 45 days by logging into their homes.

The impact of the wildfires extends beyond the game. Other events, including a Critical Role campaign and an NFL playoff game, have also been affected. Square Enix expressed its concern and sympathy for those impacted by the disaster.

The recent suspension, coupled with the return of a free login campaign, has made for a busy start to 2025 for Final Fantasy XIV players. The duration of this latest housing demolition pause remains undetermined.