Summary
Soon,Final Fantasy 14will test Cross-region Data Center Travel in a limited fashion. Starting on March 24 and ending just before server maintenance for theDawntrailexpansion,Final Fantasy 14players in Japan, Europe, and North America will be able to travel to and from the Materia Data Center in the Oceanic region as part of a limited global test to see how viable cross-region travel will be in the future.
Introduced inFinal Fantasy 14Patch 6.18, the Data Center Travel system allowed players to travel from one Data Center to another, as long as the two are on the same continent. For example, players inthe Aether Data Centercan travel to and from the Primal, Crystal, and Dynamis Data Centers, since all of them are located in North America. While the technology for Cross-region Data Center Travel exists,Final Fantasy 14producer and director Naoki Yoshida stated his reluctance to enable it and cited cultural and language barriers as the reasons why Cross-region functionality was not implemented alongside Data Center Travel duringEndwalker.
But after many requests from players, Cross-region Data Center Travel will soon take its first steps.According to Square Enix,Final Fantasy 14will begin its test of Cross-region Data Center Travel on Sunday, March 24, at 11:00 PM Eastern. The test will conclude once server maintenance forDawntrailbegins in the summer. However, the test will be limited to players from Japan, North America, and Europe, as the Materia Data Center in the Oceanic region will serve as the destination for players to test the new technology andgroup up with friends from other regions. At the time of writing, the Materia Data Center is home to five realms: Bismark, Ravana, Sephirot, Sophia, and Zurvan.
Final Fantasy 14 Cross-Region Data Center Travel Details
Square Enix stated that, as part of its efforts to ensureDawntrailhas a smoother launch thanEndwalker, the Cross-region Data Center Travel would allow it to gather data and consider implementing a limited form of the feature to alleviate queue times during expansion launch. The company further clarified that lag may be experienced by players connecting to the Materia Data Center from other continents and that the travel time to and from Materia may vary depending on how many players use the system. However, Square Enix encouraged players to provide feedback during the test.
The launch of this Cross-region Data Center Travel test will happen just a day afterFinal Fantasy 14’s PAX East panelonDawntrail. All in all, players looking to pass the time untilDawntrail’s release will have one more thing to look forward to.
Final Fantasy 14 (2010)
WHERE TO PLAY
Begin your adventure in FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm RebornCreate your very own Warrior of Light and embark upon a quest to deliver the land from an eternity of Darkness.Take to the skies in FINAL FANTASY XIV: HeavenswardTake your first steps in the reclusive nation of Ishgard, locked in a seemingly never-ending struggle with dragons.Rekindle the fires of hope in FINAL FANTASY XIV: StormbloodJourney to the East and rise up against the might of the Garlean Empire.Become the darkness in FINAL FANTASY XIV: ShadowbringersTravel to a world where light ushers all unto oblivion. But hope is not yet lost, for where there is light there is shadow.Journey to the very stars above in FINAL FANTASY XIV: EndwalkerA great calamity has been building - a second advent of the Final Days. The Warrior of Light must journey ever higher and stand firm as hope’s last bastion.Set forth for new horizons in FINAL FANTASY XIV: DawntrailBlue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities await! Explore uncharted territories with familiar faces as hope’s light dawns once more.
