On December 3, the latest expansion of Final Fantasy XIV launched an early access period, giving players who pre-ordered the game the opportunity to play Endwalker before the December 7 release date. For many players, early access is a kind of patient exercise. The game server has the largest capacity, and the login queue contains more than 4,000 to 8,000 players. If players are in the early access stage and actually gain access, then they are one of the few people with privileges.

A few days before the start of Early Access, Final Fantasy XIV issued a notice detailing the company's preparations for the inevitable congestion and the techniques for shortening the waiting time. Nevertheless, after Final Fantasy XIV continues to break player records, hours of queuing, disconnection, and player dissatisfaction accompanying these events seem inevitable. During peak hours, the waiting time on popular servers can be as long as 6 to 8 hours.

Final Fantasy XIV game director Naoki Yoshida published several posts over the weekend, apologizing for the long waiting time, explaining that this early access period is the period with the most simultaneous logins in the game's eight-year history. In addition to an overview of what the development team has done to improve stability and alleviate congestion, Naoki Yoshida also announced that it will provide players with 7 days of free game time, and players can collect as many FFXIV Gil as possible.

On the Final Fantasy XIV subreddit, players generally understood the extended waiting time, but expressed disappointment with other errors and player behaviors that exacerbated the already frustrating experience. A post with the highest voter turnout this week explained that players can wait, but they are frustrated that even waiting patiently does not guarantee that they have a chance to play. And, players who want to buy FF14 Gil can choose IGGM.