Players began reporting the issue only hours after Final Fantasy 14 became available on Switch 2. One post on Reddit described getting stuck on a black screen for nearly 20 seconds while being revived during eight-player content (such as trials and normal raids). That's a major problem for high-end content that includes enrage timers, a mechanic that wipes an entire party if an encounter is not completed within a certain time limit. Because of this, the poster called the load times on Switch 2 "unacceptable."
To Square Enix's credit, the company identified the issue soon after it began popping up. According to an official post on Final Fantasy 14's the Lodestone website, the team confirmed that the issue seems to be focused on instanced duties and is triggered "when a player enters an instanced duty while surrounded by many characters." As players tend to queue for duties while in crowded areas such as Aetheryte plazas, the issue has the potential to be widespread. The post also notes that once the problem starts, it doesn't stop until after the duty in question is finished, which is especially troublesome.
Square Enix has identified the data reloading and cache clearing processes as potential culprits, and is working on a fix. The plan is to optimize the processes in question to ensure faster load times. An updated version with these fixes is currently in testing, and Square Enix says it will release the fix as soon as possible. Players can check the Lodestone for the latest updates on a potential fix. Until then, players can try to queue for duties in low-traffic areas to avoid the issue.
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