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.