After a week of login restrictions due to security concerns, Final Fantasy XIV officially resumed normal operations yesterday. Square Enix explicitly acknowledged that subscribed players lost game time—specifically, paid active subscription time—due to this incident.
If you're unfamiliar with the background, a major global cybersecurity incident occurred earlier this week, originating from PHP, a programming language widely used for websites and various other services.
Two serious security vulnerabilities were discovered in the language, forcing numerous services to shut down. Even the Steam store was briefly taken offline, and Final Fantasy XIV was not spared, with Square Enix suspending new login requests for the game.
After overcoming the impact of PHP vulnerabilities and completing server security hardening, the development team has now reopened login for Final Fantasy XIV. Incidentally, the housing demolition mechanism will also be restored.
Many players were concerned about whether they would receive compensation for the lost day of game time. As online discussions heated up, the answer was finally revealed: yes, there is compensation.
Square Enix released a new announcement stating that starting October 28, eligible subscribers will receive one day of free game time as compensation.
The compensation applies to service accounts registered for the full version of Final Fantasy XIV that had an active subscription status when logins were first suspended on October 21.
Overall, players have generally expressed satisfaction with this compensation plan. Comments on platform X confirm this, with many players acknowledging the handling and praising the development team for their timely compensation.
One user commented, "SE did a great job with this." Indeed, this move earned them points. It shows the studio is listening to player demands and that the development team truly values player feedback.