Producers Toshio Murouchi and Naoki Yoshida launched the Letter from the Producer with disconsolate faces and announced the two-week delay right off the bat, bowing apologetically in front of the fans.
During last night's Letter from the Producer, game director and producer Naoki Yoshida revealed the expansion would be introduced on Dec. 7 instead of the expected release date of Nov. 23. The shocking two-week delay of Final Fantasy XIV's upcoming expansion Endwalker has disrupted the timeline set months ago, after the expansion was delayed for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"I feel really bad about this," Naoki Yoshida said in the livestream. He had to pause for a while and started crying, before carrying on. "I know people have been preparing for this. [.] Again, I'm really sorry it came to this."
He mentioned the developer considered releasing the expansion through several patches or even cut elements to avoid delaying its release date, but it wouldn't fit how new content is normally released.
In the official written statement released after the livestream, Naoki Yoshida said that by "overseeing all aspects of the title as the head of the project, the responsibility [fell] solely" on him.
He blamed his "own selfishness" as the biggest factor behind the two-week delay, saying he "couldn't contain [his] desire to further improve Endwalker's quality" due to the fact it will conclude the story that began nine years ago with A Realm Reborn's release. As such, the expectations from the fans are high.
Although many fans have expressed disappointment, the developer also received support and understanding from the community. Today, the official subreddit's biggest thread aimed at giving appreciation to the game director.
FFXIV's upcoming expansion Endwalker will bring the players to new lands such as the Moon, Garlemald, and Sharlayan, and let players try the new classes Sage and Reaper when it releases on Dec. 7, or on Dec. 3 for players who preordered it.
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