Final Fantasy XI Nearly Ended in 2024 — But Square Enix Is Doubling Down Instead

Final Fantasy XI just hit its 23rd anniversary, and Square Enix is celebrating in a big way. The classic MMORPG is set to get some long-awaited updates in 2025, including a character race change option and several tweaks to make solo play much smoother.

But here’s the real kicker: the game was this close to being shut down.

In a recent interview with Dengeki Online, producer and director Yoji Fujito revealed that Square Enix had seriously considered ending support for FFXI in 2024. Yep — the original plan was to wrap up the current storyline, The Voracious Resurgence, and move the game into maintenance mode. That basically means no new content, just basic upkeep to keep the servers running.

Actually, it almost went a step further. Fujito admitted they were even thinking about shutting down the servers completely, with the infrastructure nearing the end of its lifespan.

So what changed? The fans.

Back in 2022, as the game neared its 20-year milestone, the devs were hit with a wave of player support. Not just messages and love letters, but actual player activity — people were still logging in and playing regularly. That consistent engagement made the dev team pause and rethink everything.

“We thought, if The Voracious Resurgence wrapped up and FFXI clearly started losing its momentum, then maybe we really should prepare to end it. But that didn’t happen,” Fujito said.“I took this as a sign that we should keep running the game.”

With that, Square Enix decided to double down instead of pulling the plug. They began upgrading the game’s infrastructure and reorganized the dev team — with Fujito stepping in as the new producer after Akihiko Matsui.

Sure, the team’s smaller now, but they’re focused. They’ve prioritized the updates that matter most, and 2025 will bring some big ones. Race changes, better solo experiences — things that players have been requesting for years.