Final Fantasy XIV launched on Switch 2 yesterday and by most accounts, it is a success. Bringing the absolutely massive game to Nintendo’s hybrid console, players now have a new way to kill time when they are on the go or really need to use the bathroom (why am I always thinking about the bathroom with MMOs?). There have been some issues, though, and one is a bit of a mood killer: long load times.
On its official website, Square Enix confirms it is aware of the elongated waits between areas and is looking into a fix for them. “Our investigation has confirmed that, when a player enters an instanced duty while surrounded by many characters, loading data will take longer than usual, which lasts until the player leaves the instance,” writes the publisher. It then lists a number of specific instances where delays are noticeable. These include:
- When the screen fades to black during a battle phase transition or when teleporting to a different map in an instanced duty
- When the screen fades to black upon reviving after being K.O.’d in an instanced duty
- When the screen fades to black upon using Return or a shortcut in an instanced duty
The company writes that the main issue seems to be related to “data reloading and cache clearing,” which are being optimized in a forthcoming update. The update will be available as soon as possible, though that could mean anything really. Still, I imagine Square Enix wants Final Fantasy XIV on Switch 2 to be a compelling product rather than a gimmick, so I would expect a patch in a week or so.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
