Summary

• Square Enix has paused Final Fantasy 14 housing demolitions due to the Los Angeles wildfires.
• This pause affects players on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
• The company will provide updates on when auto-demolition timers will resume.

Square Enix has announced a temporary halt to the automatic housing demolition timers on all four Final Fantasy 14 North American data centers just one day after they were restarted. This decision was made in response to the ongoing Los Angeles wildfires. The company is closely monitoring the situation and will inform players about when the timers will be reactivated.

In Final Fantasy 14, due to the limited availability of housing plots, Square Enix employs an automatic demolition system with timers that can extend up to 45 days. This system aims to free up plots occupied by inactive players or free companies. The timer resets only when the plot owner visits their estate, incentivizing continued subscription to maintain their virtual home. However, in cases where real-world events like natural disasters prevent players from logging in, Square Enix temporarily pauses these timers. Such pauses are communicated in advance, along with notices about their resumption.

Although Final Fantasy 14 had planned to resume automatic housing demolitions in North America, those plans have been put on hold. The pause took effect on Thursday, January 9, at 11:20 PM Eastern, due to the Los Angeles wildfires. No specific timeline has been set for when the auto-demolition timers will restart. The previous pause, which ended on January 8, was due to the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The current moratorium applies only to players and free companies with housing plots on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, or Dynamis data centers. Homeowners can reset their 45-day timers by visiting their estates during the ongoing pause.

Final Fantasy 14 Pauses Automatic Housing Demolition Timers After Restarting Them

• Final Fantasy 14 has paused automatic housing demolitions on the Aether, Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis data centers.
• The ongoing Los Angeles wildfires prompted Square Enix to take this action.
• The new pause started just one day after the end of a previous three-month moratorium.
• Square Enix will monitor the situation and update players on when timers will resume.

Square Enix is keeping a close eye on the Los Angeles wildfires and has expressed sympathy to all players affected by the disaster. The impact of the wildfires extends beyond Final Fantasy 14, affecting other events such as the postponement of the Critical Role Campaign 3 climax and the relocation of an NFL playoff game between the Los Angeles Rams and the Minnesota Vikings to Glendale, Arizona.

With the moratorium on housing demolitions and the return of the free login campaign, Final Fantasy 14 players have experienced a dynamic start to 2025. It remains to be seen how long the current auto-demolition pause will last.