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Final Fantasy 14 team working on fix for Switch 2’s load times
Square Enix has confirmed it is working on a fix for slow load times affecting Final Fantasy 14 on Nintendo Switch 2, after players reported significant delays shortly after the game's early access launch this week. The issue is particularly serious in high-end group content, where enrage timers can wipe an entire party if fights are not completed quickly enough, prompting some players to call the load times "unacceptable." The company identified the cause quickly and says a fix is already in testing, though the overall launch has otherwise gone smoothly.
According to an official post on the Lodestone website, the problem occurs specifically in instanced duties and is triggered when a player enters one while surrounded by many other characters, such as in crowded Aetheryte plazas. One Reddit user described being stuck on a black screen for nearly 20 seconds while being revived during eight-player content. Square Enix has traced the issue to the game's data reloading and cache clearing processes and is optimising them; in the meantime, it suggests players queue for duties in less crowded areas to reduce the risk.
In short
- Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy 14 suffers slow instanced-duty load times
- Issue worsens in crowded areas and risky in enrage-timer content
- Square Enix says a fix is in testing, advises avoiding crowded queuing spots
Explained simply
Final Fantasy 14 is an online role-playing game made by Square Enix. Players explore its world, take on missions and join other players in group battles. Some battles take place in instanced duties, separate areas entered by a party.
In high-end group battles, parties must defeat enemies within a time limit or the fight can end in a wipe, meaning the group has to try again. Players also gather in busy hubs around Aetherytes, which are travel points in the game. Crowded areas and group duties are relevant because the game’s loading problem has been linked to entering those duties when many characters are nearby.