'Final Fantasy XIV' Is Currently Unavailable in North America

Final Fantasy XIV is currently unavailable from Square Enix's storefront in North America.

If gamers attempt to buy a digital copy of the MMORPG from the publisher's official website, they will be greeted with an error message.

Upon adding the item to your basket and entering in your payment details, the notice will read: "We are sorry. The amount of items requested exceeds what is currently in stock. We have removed the excess from your cart".

Below the pop-up is an addendum that explains that there are currently no PC download copies of Final Fantasy XIV available for purchase.

Fans have taken to the game's subreddit to try and get to the bottom of why this might be, with many attributing it to Final Fantasy XIV's recent surge in popularity. User Kaisos elaborates that "out of stock" for digital items usually means that the supplier has run out of pre-generated codes, due to a sudden influx in demand. If this turns out to be the case, then it is a truly staggering accomplishment in terms of sales.

Meanwhile, tormenteddragon speculates that the problem is more likely to do with excess strain being placed on the game's servers. To clarify, in this scenario digital copies would not actually be "sold out". Instead, the theory goes that the developers are temporarily delisting the PC codes, in order to prevent new players from joining while they figure out how to increase server capacity.

Final Fantasy XIV has certainly experienced a rapid growth in its player base lately. Yesterday, The Gamer reported that the MMORPG has experienced a dramatic spike in pre-orders for its upcoming Endwalker update, which has already overtaken previous expansions like 2019's Shadowbringers.

Despite Endwalker not releasing for another 4 months (it is scheduled for November 19) it is still highly anticipated by fans. This is because the update promises to tie up remaining loose ends in the narrative and bring an 11-year story arc to a close.

Regardless of what caused the shortage in Final Fantasy XIV digital codes, for the time being, it is impossible for new players (or "sprouts" as they are colloquially known within the community) to join the MMORPG and create a character.

It is worth noting that this only applies to those who are hoping to buy the game digitally through Square Enix's online storefront. Final Fantasy XIV is not down and—if you are an existing subscriber—you will be able to play as normal, but may experience a few server issues for a period of time. Likewise, if you have recently purchased a physical copy of Final Fantasy XIV then you should still be able to access the online servers.

Newsweek has contacted Square Enix for comment on this developing situation and an update on when it will be resolved. At the time of publication, there has been no response.

In related news, Final Fantasy VII's remake was recently upgraded for the PS5 (where it was given a new DLC chapter) and the first six games in the franchise are soon to be getting a fresh coat of paint, courtesy of a new remaster collection.