DDoS Attacks Cause Unprecedented Server Outages in FFXIV
The North American servers of the popular MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 have stabilized after a devastating DDoS attack on May 6. However, it seems that players in Europe have not been as fortunate, as they have been caught in every single attack over the past five days, resulting in intermittent outages.
Continued Attacks Disrupt Gameplay
Although the outages in Europe have not been as severe as the worldwide DDoS attack that occurred on May 6 and 7, they have still caused disruption for players. Since the initial attack, there have been three confirmed DDoS attacks, including a six-hour outage on NA, EU, and Oceanic servers on May 7, a four-hour outage affecting Japan and EU on May 9, and an ongoing attack that has now lasted over 15 hours, impacting EU and JP servers. These attacks have created challenges for players trying to enjoy the game.
A History of DDoS Attacks in FFXIV
DDoS-related outages are not new to Final Fantasy 14. In late 2018, the game experienced a major streak of attacks that targeted every region and employed varying methods to bypass defenses. The scale of these attacks was unprecedented, resulting in massive disconnection events in North America and requiring the development team to work tirelessly to prevent total shutdowns. Although there were subsequent series of smaller outages in 2019, the frequency of DDoS attacks decreased significantly, thanks to the implementation of stronger defenses.
The recent series of outages in multiple regions is the first occurrence of extended periods of downtime since 2018. This means that a large portion of the player base, who joined after the release of the popular expansion Shadowbringers, is now experiencing DDoS attacks on a greater scale. The release of the highly anticipated expansion Dawntrail adds further concern, as it may attract even more attacks. The development team faces the challenge of implementing stronger defenses to ensure a smooth launch experience for the upcoming expansion.
Hope for a Secure Future
As players eagerly await the release of Dawntrail, they hope that the Final Fantasy 14 development team can ramp up their defenses to prevent further outages and provide a seamless gaming experience for all.