Like many other companies, Square Enix has moved its employees to remote work due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Final Fantasy VII remake managed to release on time, but some games will still suffer. In particular, updates for the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV will be delayed, as development director and project producer Naoki Yoshida announced today.
“A state of emergency has been declared in Tokyo, where the Final Fantasy XIV development team is based,” Yoshida on the game's official blog. “We have been directed to take action to prevent the further spread of the virus [...] Final Fantasy XIV has developers and QA specialists working on it around the world, and at this time we must acknowledge that the current situation will significantly impact our production schedule."
The developers managed to release patch 5.25 as planned, but some difficulties still arose. Before the release, those who had already switched to remote work or could safely get to the office worked on it.
Update 5.3, which was scheduled to be released in mid-June, will be at least two weeks late (but no more than a month). There are several reasons:
- delays in the preparation of graphic materials in cities in East Asia, North America and Europe where quarantine has been declared;
- delays in recording voiceovers due to quarantine in European cities;
- delays in task completion by the Tokyo team due to the transition to working from home;
- reduction in the amount of work in teams responsible for production and quality control, caused by the peculiarities of remote work.
“We are very sorry that we could disappoint our players who are waiting for new patches,” the head continued. “However, we prioritize the physical and mental health of our employees, without whom we would not be able to release high-quality updates and add new features to Final Fantasy XIV that you are waiting for. We ask for your understanding."
The game servers are also maintained remotely. Yoshida warned that technical support may not respond as quickly as before, but assured that each World will continue to operate as usual. If developers experience difficulties in fixing bugs and solving other technical problems, this will be announced separately.
Yoshida noted that the entire team is feeling good. The company is currently testing applications to continue releasing patches remotely. “In times like these, it’s especially important that you find happiness in something that is available to you,” he wrote. “I really hope that you find something to do in Final Fantasy XIV (maybe it's combat, quests, or fun with friends) and your days will be a little brighter.”
Final Fantasy XIV received patch 5.25 this week. He brought new quest chains, items and . The latest paid addition, Shadowbringers, was released in July 2019.
Source: 3dnews.ru