Square Enix knows Final Fantasy 14 is losing players after Dawntrail and many still logging on are losing patience, president acknowledges concerns Yoshi-P is stretched thin carrying the whole Final Fantasy franchise

Square Enix president Takashi Kiryu is reportedly "aware" that Final Fantasy 14 has been having a tough time of it since the Dawntrail expansion released last year, and that fans are concerned over how busy producer and director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida is with other projects.

Speaking at Square Enix's latest shareholder meeting, Kiryu is asked if he's wise to fan sentiment that Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail expansion has marked a decline in quality that has seen players part with the MMO.

While Square Enix typically posts the full transcript of these meetings in the weeks following, those in attendance are already sharing the highlights. As per Google Translate and DeepL, one such highlight is Kiryu reportedly sharing that Square Enix is indeed aware of everyone's frustrations, before adding that Dawntrail marks the start of a new saga for the MMO, and that the team is committed to ensuring everyone can enjoy the game beyond its next big expansion.

Additionally, Kiryu says he's also aware of concerns that Yoshida is juggling too many projects to focus on Final Fantasy 14. While the past years have seen Creative Studio 3 also contribute to Final Fantasy 16, Fantasian Neo Dimension, and upcoming releases like Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles, Kiryu says the work that Yoshida is doing in his other roles will end up benefiting Final Fantasy 14 in the end.

Kiryu's comments follow Yoshida's recent remarks during a livestream that "quality of service has declined recently," with the need for additional hotfixes to flatten bugs increasing. Yoshida also dedicated a part of that stream to sharing what the Final Fantasy 14 team was doing to remedy frustrations with Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration, including a pesky raid that's only been cleared 400 times in 23 days.

Taking a step back, it's all part of a bigger picture. Final Fantasy 14's Dawntrail expansion didn't dazzle everyone at launch as complaints over story and class design grew louder.

The combat design seen in raids and dungeons has been a bright spot and the story has improved, although the roadmap is testing plenty within the community. Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration had been warmly anticipated as the sort of midcore content everyone had been desperate for, but it ended up coming around a year after Dawntrail released.

While Square Enix hasn't offered official numbers on how Final Fantasy 14's player base is doing, an unofficial fan consensus with sway within the community confirmed what many had thought – not great.

It's worth noting that Final Fantasy 14's 7.2 patch initially landed well with players before issues with Occult Crescent and Cosmic Exploration sank things somewhat, but it's clear there's work to be done to steady the good ship Final Fantasy 14 again – and it would appear fewer know that more than Square Enix.

Asked for another turn-based Final Fantasy in the wake of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's success, Square Enix says turn-based RPGs are its origin and its future.