Square enix error code 401

1. 09-19-2013 09:41 AM

   
   

   #1

   
   Moderator
   

   

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   Payment Method Registration Errors [Error Code 401 and 601]
   

   Hello,

   We are aware of a number of customers experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
   Customers affected by these issues are receiving either a 401 or a 601 error code message when attempting to enter their payment information.

   If you have encountered either of these error messages, we recommend that you take the following steps:

   1.) Make sure that you are entering all of your card information (CC#, expiration date, CVV#, etc) correctly.
   2.) Make sure that your financial institution has all of your latest billing information (address, name, etc).
   3.) Contact your financial institution to make sure there no issues with your account.
   4.) After taking the preceding steps, if you are still encountering error code messages, please wait 24 hours and then try again.

   For additional support please contact our Support Center here.
   When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.

   Last edited by Nadeu; 10-03-2013 at 03:08 AM.

   Reason: Update

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2. 09-19-2013 09:48 AM

   
   

   #2

   
   Player
   

   • 

   

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   Character

   Corea Swiftspear

   World

   Exodus

   Main Class

   Lancer Lv 42

   

   Originally Posted by Bublex
   

   If you are unable to resolve the issue with your financial institution, then contact our Support Center for further assistance here. When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.
   [/url]

   So after waiting 2 hours I’m told there’s nothing they can do and that the initial lockout was 48 hours and since I tried again today it added another 24 hours. That’s a total of 72 hours I have to wait till I can try to sub. Then the agent disconnects as i’m asking them why we’re told to contact them if there’s nothing they can do. VERY UPSET right now.

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3. 09-19-2013 10:01 AM

   
   

   #3

   
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   Character

   Khyal Raga

   World

   Excalibur

   Main Class

   Thaumaturge Lv 31

   Bublex,

   I am afraid that your information is not satisfactory.

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4. 09-19-2013 10:02 AM

   
   

   #4

   
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   Character

   Sally Syrup

   World

   Sargatanas

   Main Class

   Ninja Lv 60

   

   Originally Posted by Khyal
   

   Bublex,

   I am afraid that your information is not satisfactory.

   Its a start. Much better than silence.

   Adventure, that’s the life for me!

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5. 09-19-2013 10:05 AM

   
   

   #5

   
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   Character

   Ririsi Risi

   World

   Masamune

   Main Class

   Arcanist Lv 60

   It’s useless to link the support center when they hang up or ignore anything about 401/601/11000.

   A lot of the problem comes from the fact that your Customer Service Representatives can’t do anything. Why not allow them to lift restrictions? Why not reform the billing system to be user-friendly? My Mastercard debit card was accepted in 1.0 and it was accepted for the purchase of my digital CE upgrade. MogStation even accepted my card for automatic renewal over a week ago only to suddenly reject it over an unspecified error. If my bank has an issue with payment to SquareEnix/GlobalCollect then why have they already allowed me to?

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6. 09-19-2013 10:05 AM

   
   

   #6

   
   Player
   

   
   

   

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   Character

   Corrderio Arseid

   World

   Siren

   Main Class

   Gladiator Lv 90

   

   Originally Posted by Luso
   

   Its a start. Much better than silence.

   Not really. It’s the same thing he said earlier today and was proven wrong.

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7. 09-19-2013 10:09 AM

   
   

   #7

   
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   Character

   Hellz Inferno

   World

   Lamia

   Main Class

   Arcanist Lv 37

   I’m a 1.0 CE holder and i used the same exact card for 1.0 and it worked fine and now i’m having the 401 and 601 error and I work at the bank my debit and credit cards are from. I called a friend that works in card services and he said that there is nothing is being charge, there is way more than enough funds in both my debit and credit card to use to pay. So therefore Bublex the problem is with the online payment agencies SE is using. And that «small number of customers that are experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription» will increase way more in the next week or two.

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8. 09-19-2013 10:12 AM

   
   

   #8

   
   Player
   

   • 

   

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   Character

   Ririsi Risi

   World

   Masamune

   Main Class

   Arcanist Lv 60

   

   Originally Posted by Corrderio
   

   Not really. It’s the same thing he said earlier today and was proven wrong.

   To be fair it’s not his fault. He just has to relay the generic public relation approved response to the problem and attempt to keep order on the forums. I’d say the blame lies mostly in management neglecting to address the problem and thus their ICT personnel aren’t paid to do anything about it.

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9. 09-19-2013 10:13 AM

   
   

   #9

   
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   Character

   Ebay Toon

   World

   Hyperion

   Main Class

   Conjurer Lv 50

   You are 100% wrong here. You have a 40+ page thread where multiple people have not only had this problem but have already called their banks. This problem is on YOU. Not only have I never seen any other MMO have a problem with taking payments to this scale, I have never seen them blame the players. It’s shameful you would lock peoples threads and try to blame THEM and sweep this under the rug. If you have the free time to troll these threads and close them perhaps you should use that time to get off your ass and find out what needs to be done to fix this, not alienate a large portion of your player base. Every day this goes on you are losing more and more customers and with the shape 1.0 was even losing one customer is more then you should be willing to lose.

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10. 09-19-2013 10:13 AM

    
    

    #10

    
    Player
    

    • 

    

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    Character

    Ram Rod

    World

    Balmung

    Main Class

    Leatherworker Lv 50

    Thank god GTA V just came out. I think I’ll use my subscription money to go buy that instead.

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If you’re receiving an error code 401/406/601/i2501 while attempting billing, the transaction has been declined. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.  Reasons for the error may include but are not limited to:

— The transaction being declined by the bank
— Incorrect information provided for the card
— Use of pre-paid debit or credit cards
— Card information not matching Account information
— Cards being used on multiple SQUARE ENIX Accounts
— Insufficient funds available on the card

While the transaction may have been declined automatically for any of these reasons, there are additional reasons that may have caused the error.

Please do not attempt to continue using a declined card as it may cause a temporary lockout from billing on the account. If you’re receiving a billing declined error, it is possible there is a temporary lockout on the account. When receiving 401 or 406 errors, please wait a minimum of 24 hours before reattempting the transaction. For a 601 error, please wait at least 48 hours.

Although the transaction may be declined by our authentication system, several convenient alternative payment methods are available for you to success fully make your purchase. If you’d like to make your purchase immediately, you can attempt to use one of the provided alternative payment methods.

1. Crysta may be purchased via PayPal, which allows the customer to use PayPal’s authentication system
2. Game Time Cards may be purchased at a variety of retailers to add 60 days of subscription time for Final Fantasy XIV accounts.

If you are receiving an i2501 error, this is an error that is triggered by the system to protect accounts. Many actions can trigger this error, such as a slow internet connection, use of a VPN or an odd connection (EG: schools or cafes), a possible virus detected on the device, many rapid payments at once, and numerous other actions.

We advise clearing the cache/cookies/browsing data from your default web browser, disable any web browser extensions (EG: ad-blocker), or switch to Microsoft Edge and try again. You may also try using a smartphone running on a mobile data connection (WiFi disabled). We also suggest resetting the connection (router/modem) you are using to connect to the Internet and waiting a full 24 hours since your last attempt before trying again.

Once again, we do apologize for the inconvenience these errors may have caused, however, we hope this information helps resolve this issue. If the issues persist, please contact us and we will assist further.

FAQ Article: 68617
FAQ Category: [Account/Billing] [Service Fee] / FAQ Sub-category: [Billing Issues] [Payment]

Thread: Error Code 401

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Error Code 401

I’m also experiencing this problem. Every time I try and enter my details, it just comes up with a 401 error, tells me to ‘make sure I check all appropriate details’ and takes me back. Would have been nice to have been told you were banning my credit card for a month instead of a cryptic error message beforehand, SE.

I’ve had a similar problem with one other MMO which I was forced to stop playing because of it. I think the bank may check the details such as the name on card, card number, etc etc. I found out my problem was that the name on my MMO account was my full first name but the name on my card is only my initials and my full surname, so my bank rejected it. Only problem was the MMO’s account system wouldn’t let me register names of just one letter, so I was screwed. I’m not sure if FFXIV will have the same problem but I guess I can’t find out now for a month anyway, huh? Oh and no, my bank, card and account are all from the same country I am and I’m here myself, so that’s not it either.

I’d use game cards, but every single store within 30km of me is totally sold out and at that point I gave up. So after having my free time run out, my account locked for a month and all game time cards sold out, I suppose SE really doesn’t want my money anymore. How about a fix please Square-Enix? Besides, every other business and it’s dog doesn’t seem to have this problem. Not sure why you are.

Last edited by Sumtingwong; 10-06-2013 at 01:32 PM .

How did you know you account blocked ? Where can I check mine blocked or not ? This error is really annoying. I have been stuck with it for 5 days.

I’m going on what SE’s customer service reps have told others. If you try it and get a 401, your card’s blocked for 7 hours, then a week then a month for the third attempt.

Still, glad to know my Australian credit card’s just not good enough for them.

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Thread: Error 401

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Error 401

This is more to express my frustration with trying to purchase Crysta. I tried on 3 different occassions to had 1000 Crysta to my account and received this message:

So I googled to see if anyone had an idea what can be done about the issue. I found this:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t. then-try-again

I then tried UltimatePay and it said my card was declined. My card is fine. This was my first [and my last] time trying to add more Crysta to my account with this card. I won’t be able to get in contact with anyone until tomorrow about this issue, but I know Huntington is going to tell me that there’s nothing wrong with my card.

Through various google searches, I’ve read where people tried getting in contact with SE and all they did was blame the cardholder’s bank. I feel like it would be no point in even calling, emailing, or chatting with SE.

The trouble is, these error codes are simply placeholder codes that don’t actually explain the underlying cause of the problem. This is why problems with billing are so difficult to fix.

However, you said you’re using ‘Ultimatepay’. From what I understand, SE no longer accepts that as a payment method, as stated here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t. 81#post2230081 Unfortunately, all you can do is try another payment method like a prepaid time card or a credit card/debit card.

The trouble is, these error codes are simply placeholder codes that don’t actually explain the underlying cause of the problem. This is why problems with billing are so difficult to fix.

However, you said you’re using ‘Ultimatepay’. From what I understand, SE no longer accepts that as a payment method, as stated here: http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t. 81#post2230081 Unfortunately, all you can do is try another payment method like a prepaid time card or a credit card/debit card.

You’re more right than most people on the forums, but you’re slightly mistaken. Ultimate Points will be going away soon, but as of right now, UltimatePay is still a valid payment option for Crysta. It’s the last step when purchasing Crysta, just below where it says «Credit/Debit» Card. This will work around the errors 401, 406, and 601.

HOWEVER! If you get an error that states the card has been declined, you may want to give your bank a call.

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Thread: Payment Method Registration Errors [Error Code 401 and 601]

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For who read this: THIS IS NOT A BANK PROBLEM !!
Tons of people here, around the world, with different bank accounts, are having the same issue.
I tried every combination possible, the card isn’t blocked and in differents networks. Please, stop this generic answer and give us a solution. Or give or money back.

Why they can’t understand that ? Incredible.

I used a pre-paid debit card just now and it worked perfectly fine. No hassle at all. Yesterday i got the same error code as most of you but worked fine just now. You should try to put in your debit card info now. System seems to be working fine.

Eh, I just tried again just in case you were right. Still not working lol. Another 401. What sucks is, I don’t know if it’s the bugged error, or if my card is just locked out for that 24 hours since the first attempt (or is it the last. ) . Which is really stupid.

Why on earth is that even there? Let is pay for the damn game we want to play and let us play! This isn’t rocket science.

I am an owner of a Legacy 1.0 standard account, and owner of a CE boxed ARR that I cannot use to gain the content listed without paying another 20$ since the provided code can only be used if I create a new account. I was also part of the beta where many of these account issues as well as server load issues where being flagged as priority problems that needed to not only be addressed but the general attitude that these were simply minor issues that players needed to find how to work around them was considered unacceptable and a bad practice.

These subscription issues and the current way both customer service and moderation team have been communicating pretty much convinced me that the best course of action is to wait till things settles and get fixed before ever considering spending more on this game then I currently have.

I will not be subscribing to this game for as long as it is needed to gain a stable and high level of quality in both services and product satisfaction.

I was expecting having to rely on patience when faced with issues at the start of this launch, but not being able to gain what I paid for nor even being able to register subscription information is a bit more then I was expecting.

I hope things will get cleared soon guys.

I don’t think I have ever experienced such utterly horrible service ever in an mmo or anything else. I like this game, but honestly, I can say with a 100% certainty I will NEVER buy a square enix online game ever again, that is, if they make another one.

I would believe that error 401 is what you say, except I am able to go through the process again within 24 hours, I simply get the same error. Also, the $1 charge to verify my information goes through each time, so the information is no incorrect, and if a charge was made, then the authorization was not declined. I added my card in the past, with no issue, but as soon as my free subscription is up, my card information is removed, and I am unable to re-add it. That, in no way, sounds like something on my end.

We are aware a small number of customers are experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Customers affected by these issues are receiving either a 401 or a 601 error code message when attempting to enter their payment information.

For Customers Receiving Error 401
If you are receiving an error 401 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, there is an issue with your financial institution declining the authorization attempt. Unfortunately, Square Enix is not provided with any information as to why the authorization was declined. Please be sure that all billing information is entered correctly on the Square Enix Account. Please be aware that once authorization has been declined, that form of payment method cannot be used for a full twenty-four hours.

If you are unable to resolve the issue with your financial institution, then contact our Support Center for further assistance here. When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.

For Customers Receiving Error 601
If you are receiving an error 601 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, the error maybe caused if you are on a private network or on a company network. If possible, we recommend that you try using an outside network to register your payment method to your Square Enix Account. As repeated registration failure can lead to restrictions being placed on your account, we strongly recommend that you contact the Square Enix Support Center for guidance before attempting to register a Credit/Debit card again.

Bublex, you suggested us to contact the support center. via chat or phone? I tried both numerous times for HOURS and none of them responded. Can you at least suggest something that actually works?

it’s like SE is sticking their fingers in their ears and yelling BLAH BLAH BLAH I CAN’T HEAR YOU. over and over again

We are aware a small number of customers are experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Customers affected by these issues are receiving either a 401 or a 601 error code message when attempting to enter their payment information.

For Customers Receiving Error 401
If you are receiving an error 401 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, there is an issue with your financial institution declining the authorization attempt. Unfortunately, Square Enix is not provided with any information as to why the authorization was declined. Please be sure that all billing information is entered correctly on the Square Enix Account. Please be aware that once authorization has been declined, that form of payment method cannot be used for a full twenty-four hours.

If you are unable to resolve the issue with your financial institution, then contact our Support Center for further assistance here. When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.

For Customers Receiving Error 601
If you are receiving an error 601 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, the error maybe caused if you are on a private network or on a company network. If possible, we recommend that you try using an outside network to register your payment method to your Square Enix Account. As repeated registration failure can lead to restrictions being placed on your account, we strongly recommend that you contact the Square Enix Support Center for guidance before attempting to register a Credit/Debit card again.

REALLY SMALL number how about a good number of people we made a post and made 38 PAGES and almost 21,000
LINK IN HERE Views.. and that’s a SMALL ? number.. sigh really Bublex, but oh well at least you guys know acknowledge there is a problem. Thanks a i guess.

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Thread: Error Code 401 for the duration of Discount Campaign

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Error Code 401 for the duration of Discount Campaign

So Tried to server transfer while the campaign was on and I kept getting Error code 401.

SE was aware of this problem —>
Updates
Nov. 20, 2014 03:35 [PST] From: FINAL FANTASY XI
Registration Info Server Technical Difficulties (Nov. 20)

Currently, our business settlement agency is experiencing technical difficulties for the services listed below where certain transactions made by credit cards and debit cards on the Square Enix Account Management System may result in an error. Should you encounter an error, please wait awhile and try again. We will provide an update as soon as there is any change in the situation.

— Registration of credit card information
— Purchase of Square Enix Crysta
— Purchase of Security Token
— Purchase/cancellation/restoration of content ID
— Application for World Transfer Service
— Purchase of add-on story content

We apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your patience.

[Date & Time]
Nov. 18, 2014 from 21:55 (PST)

[Details]
Performing the following transactions using credit cards and debit cards may result in an error.
— Registration of credit card information
— Purchase of Square Enix Crysta
— Purchase of Security Token
— Purchase/cancellation/restoration of content ID
— Application for World Transfer Service
— Purchase of add-on story content

[Affected Service]
— Square Enix Account Management System

Then soon as the campaign is over. It works!
So i try speaking to customer support through there chat and they say that all services are none refundable and basicly To bad so sad.
Thanx S.E 11 years of faithful payments and you screw us over.

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Thread: Payment Method Registration Errors [Error Code 401 and 601]

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For who read this: THIS IS NOT A BANK PROBLEM !!
Tons of people here, around the world, with different bank accounts, are having the same issue.
I tried every combination possible, the card isn’t blocked and in differents networks. Please, stop this generic answer and give us a solution. Or give or money back.

Why they can’t understand that ? Incredible.

I used a pre-paid debit card just now and it worked perfectly fine. No hassle at all. Yesterday i got the same error code as most of you but worked fine just now. You should try to put in your debit card info now. System seems to be working fine.

Eh, I just tried again just in case you were right. Still not working lol. Another 401. What sucks is, I don’t know if it’s the bugged error, or if my card is just locked out for that 24 hours since the first attempt (or is it the last. ) . Which is really stupid.

Why on earth is that even there? Let is pay for the damn game we want to play and let us play! This isn’t rocket science.

I am an owner of a Legacy 1.0 standard account, and owner of a CE boxed ARR that I cannot use to gain the content listed without paying another 20$ since the provided code can only be used if I create a new account. I was also part of the beta where many of these account issues as well as server load issues where being flagged as priority problems that needed to not only be addressed but the general attitude that these were simply minor issues that players needed to find how to work around them was considered unacceptable and a bad practice.

These subscription issues and the current way both customer service and moderation team have been communicating pretty much convinced me that the best course of action is to wait till things settles and get fixed before ever considering spending more on this game then I currently have.

I will not be subscribing to this game for as long as it is needed to gain a stable and high level of quality in both services and product satisfaction.

I was expecting having to rely on patience when faced with issues at the start of this launch, but not being able to gain what I paid for nor even being able to register subscription information is a bit more then I was expecting.

I hope things will get cleared soon guys.

I don’t think I have ever experienced such utterly horrible service ever in an mmo or anything else. I like this game, but honestly, I can say with a 100% certainty I will NEVER buy a square enix online game ever again, that is, if they make another one.

I would believe that error 401 is what you say, except I am able to go through the process again within 24 hours, I simply get the same error. Also, the $1 charge to verify my information goes through each time, so the information is no incorrect, and if a charge was made, then the authorization was not declined. I added my card in the past, with no issue, but as soon as my free subscription is up, my card information is removed, and I am unable to re-add it. That, in no way, sounds like something on my end.

We are aware a small number of customers are experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Customers affected by these issues are receiving either a 401 or a 601 error code message when attempting to enter their payment information.

For Customers Receiving Error 401
If you are receiving an error 401 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, there is an issue with your financial institution declining the authorization attempt. Unfortunately, Square Enix is not provided with any information as to why the authorization was declined. Please be sure that all billing information is entered correctly on the Square Enix Account. Please be aware that once authorization has been declined, that form of payment method cannot be used for a full twenty-four hours.

If you are unable to resolve the issue with your financial institution, then contact our Support Center for further assistance here. When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.

For Customers Receiving Error 601
If you are receiving an error 601 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, the error maybe caused if you are on a private network or on a company network. If possible, we recommend that you try using an outside network to register your payment method to your Square Enix Account. As repeated registration failure can lead to restrictions being placed on your account, we strongly recommend that you contact the Square Enix Support Center for guidance before attempting to register a Credit/Debit card again.

Bublex, you suggested us to contact the support center. via chat or phone? I tried both numerous times for HOURS and none of them responded. Can you at least suggest something that actually works?

it’s like SE is sticking their fingers in their ears and yelling BLAH BLAH BLAH I CAN’T HEAR YOU. over and over again

We are aware a small number of customers are experiencing issues when trying to set up their subscription for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Customers affected by these issues are receiving either a 401 or a 601 error code message when attempting to enter their payment information.

For Customers Receiving Error 401
If you are receiving an error 401 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, there is an issue with your financial institution declining the authorization attempt. Unfortunately, Square Enix is not provided with any information as to why the authorization was declined. Please be sure that all billing information is entered correctly on the Square Enix Account. Please be aware that once authorization has been declined, that form of payment method cannot be used for a full twenty-four hours.

If you are unable to resolve the issue with your financial institution, then contact our Support Center for further assistance here. When contacting the Support Center, please note that you will need to verify your account information.

For Customers Receiving Error 601
If you are receiving an error 601 message when attempting to enter a new payment method or updating an old one, the error maybe caused if you are on a private network or on a company network. If possible, we recommend that you try using an outside network to register your payment method to your Square Enix Account. As repeated registration failure can lead to restrictions being placed on your account, we strongly recommend that you contact the Square Enix Support Center for guidance before attempting to register a Credit/Debit card again.

REALLY SMALL number how about a good number of people we made a post and made 38 PAGES and almost 21,000
LINK IN HERE Views.. and that’s a SMALL ? number.. sigh really Bublex, but oh well at least you guys know acknowledge there is a problem. Thanks a i guess.

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Regarding World Login Errors and Resolutions (Source)

Hello, this is Naoki Yoshida, Producer & Director of FINAL FANTASY XIV.

Thank you all for participating in the Early Access and official launch of Endwalker.

Since the start of Early Access, we have been seeing an unprecedented number of active players, the highest ever seen since the launch of FFXIV, as well as record numbers of simultaneous logins, but along with this, the number of connections has far surpassed the scale of our services which has resulted in long wait times when attempting to log in.

　
Even during this congestion, we’ve received words of support and encouragement, for which we’re truly grateful. Thank you very much. On the other hand, we sincerely apologize for the long waiting times and the resulting frustration experienced by players attempting to log in.

I’d like to share some information regarding the ongoing congestion, the reasons behind errors that have been appearing while waiting in queues, and the current status of our fixes. For information on error codes not listed below, please see my previous announcement on December 5 (https://sqex.to/QDFMi).

■ Lobby server maintenance to address errors

Allow me to share some information regarding specific errors. We are planning for a full maintenance on the lobby servers at the earliest timing possible, in order to resolve these errors. Although the maintenance time isn’t fully solidified, it is estimated to take about 30 minutes. This will not affect any players who are already logged into the game, but during these 30 minutes, players will not be able to make new login attempts, and the login queue will be unavailable.

We deeply apologize for this but ask for your cooperation as we address these server errors. The exact maintenance times will be shared in an upcoming announcement.

■ All Worlds Maintenance

In the early morning of Wednesday, December 8, we will be conducting maintenance across all Worlds to address server errors aside from those mentioned above, as well as a few issues that can be resolved on the server side. This requires all servers to go offline and is estimated to take about four hours to complete. Details on maintenance timing will be announced in the future. I’d like to ask for your understanding and cooperation regarding this matter as well.

Below are some details regarding errors that have been occurring as a result of congestion.

■ Disconnects by Error 4004 right before logging in

Currently, I believe the most frustrating cases are when you’ve been waiting in the queue and get disconnected by an error when your turn comes around, forcing you to line up in the queue again. These disconnects are often happening as a result of Error 4004 and 3001, and here I’d like to provide the details and statuses of countermeasures against Error 4004.

・ How the Process Works

To prevent servers from going down as a result of mass logins or overloading, the process of logging into a World that has reached the login cap involves waiting until the World can admit 100 players, then admitting the first 100 players in the login queue, a process that is constantly being repeated.

・ The Issue

We have confirmed an issue where during the process of admitting these 100 players, if certain conditions coincide in combination while the servers are experiencing extremely high loads, up to 25 of these players will receive an error. This issue is not guaranteed to occur even when the servers are experiencing extremely high loads, and the number of players who experience the issue varies. However, considering login queues can take up to several hours and how an error can cause players to have to return to the back of the queue, we currently recognize this as the most frustrating issue.

・ Resolving the Issue

We have been able to locate the cause of this error that occurs due to extremely high server loads and are currently fixing the source code for the lobby servers. Although the fix itself is finished, the process of checking whether the fix has actually resolved this issue requires time as it is an extremely complex process. In addition, due to the complexity of the conditions of occurrence itself, it is possible that we have not yet addressed more detailed conditions, but we will reflect the fixes and continue to monitor the situation. As soon as our preparations are ready, we will carry out the work through the aforementioned lobby server maintenance. We ask that you wait a little longer until the fix is made.

■ Disconnects by Error 3001 right before logging in

I’d also like to provide the details and countermeasures regarding Error 3001.

・ Error 3001 Cause #1

A login cap is in place on every World in order to prevent them from going down due to high loads. Despite this, a number of extremely overloaded servers have allowed players to log in beyond this cap, resulting in the allowed number of lobby server connections to fail and cause Error 3001 and disconnect players in the queue.

・ Resolution for Cause #1

We currently have a general idea of what is causing this issue with extremely overloaded Worlds, and a fix is underway. However, these are areas where complex processing is carried out and careful fixing is required for this process. As such, fixing/confirming/implementation into the lobby server will require time. This will be implemented in the maintenance scheduled for December 8, and we are putting our full effort into it, but haven’t been able to determine the full details. Further details regarding this will be announced at a later timing as well.

・ Error 3001 Cause #2

This is an issue that is occurring only on the Tonberry World on the Elemental data center. The Tonberry World has the largest number of login requests of all the game Worlds, and players are helping to mitigate this issue by using the World Visit System and logging into other Worlds. However, due to the way chat connections work when using the World Visit System, we cannot completely cut off a player’s connection with their character’s Home World, causing the total number of active connections to become enormous, and we have confirmed that as a result, a situation similar to Cause #1 above can occur.

・ Resolution for Cause #2

Although we are aware of the relative risk of the Tonberry World going down, we’ve increased the number of network connections to its absolute maximum. Your patience would be greatly appreciated as we monitor the situation based on this tentative fix for the time being.

■ Error 2002

Now I would like to explain about the details related to Error 2002 and our countermeasures.

・ Details of the Process

In order to prevent a major login server outage, FFXIV has a limit of «no more than 17,000 total players waiting to log in per logical data center». This cap is set uniformly regardless of how many Worlds exist in a logical data center.

・ The Issue

If the total number of players waiting in the logical data center exceeds 17,000, Error 2002 will be displayed and you will not be able to queue up for login.

・ The Resolution for this Issue

We are now ready to deploy the backup development servers to the public lobby servers, which will improve the management capacity of the lobby server and raise the maximum number of players in the queue to around 21,000. Since this will not require any maintenance, we will err on the side of caution and proceed with the deployment outside of peak hours. It is scheduled to be completed late in the night of December 7, Japan time.

■ Regarding Measures Towards a Fundamental Resolution for Congestion

When it comes to fundamental measures against this type of large-scale congestion—and this is something that was brought up in the Lodestone announcement (https://sqex.to/4IkYs) we made ahead of early access—the most effective method would be a “large-scale addition of new Worlds in all regions.”

On the one hand, following the explosive rise in players coming to FFXIV beginning in spring 2021, we spent over a half a year scrambling to address the need to add new Worlds. However, due to policies surrounding COVID-19, which has had an effect on the entire world, even now we have been unable to procure the required hardware for adding new Worlds.

■ Regarding the Global Semiconductor Shortage (Supply Chain Issues)

When it comes to adding new Worlds, we need tens of “server machines” for every World that we add. Server machines are high-performance computers, which utilize numerous semiconductors. However, due to COVID-19 countermeasures currently put in pace, many factories across the globe which produce semiconductors have halted production, or have faced labor shortages—this has ultimately led to a decrease in the number of semiconductors being produced, and has resulted in a worldwide semiconductor shortage.

Furthermore, this does not only pertain to production of semiconductors, but from a logistics standpoint as well, COVID-19 countermeasures continue to explosively push up demand and create this turbulent situation. We have put in considerable investment—even more so than usual—to secure the needed hardware, but even so, the current fact of the matter is that a long lead time is needed to prepare the server hardware.

If we try to look to when this semiconductor shortage may be solved, unfortunately given the state of things, we aren’t able to estimate when we might reach a resolution. The FFXIV Server and Infrastructure teams accelerated work to implement the additional high-performance machines we had secured, as well as optimized the server source code and increased the number of maximum logins per World. I promise that we will continue to put in this type of effort.

Given the current situation, we anticipate that it may take several months or more to add new Worlds. I want to express my sincerest apologies to all of our players for the inconvenience this is causing. I appreciate your continued understanding and support regarding this matter.