Congestion Prevention for Shadowbringers Release (Jun. 26)

With the upcoming release of Shadowbringers, we anticipate that servers may become congested under various circumstances during early access and launch. In order to ensure that gameplay is as smooth as possible, we will be implementing tentative measures for congestion relief and server load reduction.



We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your cooperation and understanding.



■Login Restrictions

In order to prevent possible server crashes due to congestion, login restrictions may be applied when attempting to log into certain Worlds.



Characters with active subscriptions will be prioritized when these queues are in place.



■Auto Logout Feature

A temporary measure will be put in place that will automatically log out players that are inactive for 30 minutes.



Please note that we may also log out all characters on all Worlds should the congestion not dissipate. Should this become necessary, we will make an announcement via the in-game system message before it takes place.



■Queues for Instanced Content

For both early access and the official release of the expansion, we are expecting congestion for instanced battle content in order to progress through certain quests. These types of instances will now put you into a queue to enter the instance, while also displaying how many players are currently waiting. Players will be processed in order, so we ask for your patience until the instance is ready.



■Field Instances for New Areas

To ease area populations and login restrictions due to congestion when service starts, we will be implementing multiple field instances for the new areas in Shadowbringers as well as parts of existing areas.



A field instance is one of many copies of an area that you can travel to when changing areas.



These instances will be distinguished with a number at the end of the area name, such as "Lakeland 1," "Lakeland 2," “Lakeland 3,” and so on. While the maps feature the same content between them, these areas are treated as a separate and unique copies. The number of instances available will vary depending on the area.



■How to Choose a Field Instance

When entering areas on foot, mount, or by accessing an aetheryte in an area featuring multiple instances, a window will appear that will let you select which instance you wish to travel to.



When using Teleport/Return, a field instance will be chosen at random. You can check which instance you entered by checking your Chat Log or using the "/instance" text command.



■Restrictions in Field Instances

Characters in different field instances of the same area will be able to send Tells to one another, but there will be restrictions, such as not being able to see each other.



■Entering the Same Field Instance as a Party

Party members will have priority on entering the same field instance entering these instances through teleport or return. However, should the field instance become full, there is a chance that party members will not arrive at the same instance. In this case, you will need to enter the area by foot, mount, or via an aetheryte and select the same field instance number to ensure that you stay together.

