DDoS Attacks Against Final Fantasy 14 Have Been Contained, For Now

The recent release of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood has been marred by connectivity issues, which publisher Square Enix attributed to distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks from a third party. Today, Square published an update on the situation, explaining that the attackers had started targeting internet service providers--but the attacks have been contained, for now.

In a post on its website, the company stated that, after its own defenses had helped contain the DDoS attacks, the third-party had moved up to attack ISPs. This meant that the problems were out of Square's control, and it required intervention by ISPs.

"Since July, the attacks have shifted away from the Final Fantasy XIV game servers, and the target has changed to focus on the upper-tier internet service providers that are required to connect to the data center," the company wrote. "These attacks to the upper-tier ISP network are causing lapses in communication to the game servers, giving rise to instant disconnects during logins."

However, it appears that, for the moment, the attacks have been contained. ISP defenses have provided relief from the issues plaguing the game. Nevertheless, Square warned that the problems could arise once more. "There is the possibility that the attacks could occur again," the post reads. "Therefore, we will seek to strengthen our cooperation with the upper-tier ISPs and continue observing our defenses."

Stormblood launched last month and received critical acclaim. GameSpot gave it a 9/10, with critic Pete Davison writing, "While new players--or those who never beat A Realm Reborn's complete story--may feel aggravated at being locked-out of the expansion until they catch up, there's little denying that Final Fantasy XIV as a whole offers astonishing value for those willing to immerse themselves, and it will only continue to grow and expand over time."

A big patch for the game was recently released. We also got the chance to talk with the company about reinventing the MMO for beginners. In addition, you can read more about the original DDoS attacks here.