FFXIV Endwalker’s first post-expansion patch has fixed the blocky grapes so that they are noticeably less blocky, and gamers are lamenting the loss.
Final Fantasy XIV‘s Endwalker, the MMORPG’s fourth expansion, has finally fixed its grapes in a recent update, causing some players to mourn the loss of the funny-looking fruit. Endwalker was released for early access on December 3rd and officially launched on December 7th. Fans were especially excited for this expansion as it concluded the game’s near decade-long story that started when the game was first released in 2010. Also revealed in the FFXIV Endwalker 6.0 update were two new classes, a male Viera race, and more cutscenes than past expansions.
As some fans played Endwalker, however, they noticed that there was an oddly-shaped fruit hanging from in-game vines. Players were quick to point out online that Endwalker had low-res grapes located in Labyrinthos, a new zone in Endwalker. Final Fantasy XIV’s blocky crystal-like grapes were a stark contrast to the detail developers put into other graphics and its high-quality cutscenes. It’s been suggested that the low-quality grapes are a result of balancing the game as more detailed in-game decorations would greatly impact the game’s performance. Possibly thanks to that, players were treated to clunky-looking grapes in Endwalker.
As reported by PC Gamer, the first post-expansion patch adjusted different components of the game and added a new eight-player raid. To the disappointment of some fans, the patch also fixed the blocky grapes. Square Enix, the developer of the video game, addressed that it fixed them. In the patch notes for the 6.01 update, Square Enix mentions that “the polygon count of grapes in Labyrinthos were reduced in excess to alleviate system memory usage in the area.” Now the in-game grapes are noticeably less blocky, and gamers are lamenting the loss of the low-res grapes.
Though Square Enix claims that it fixed the grapes to help with the system’s memory usage in Labyrinthos, it’s more likely that the developer fixed the grapes after its cubed fruit were roasted online. However, there has been a persistent problem with the game’s memory storage and usage. Due to the global shortage of semiconductors and the game’s popularity causing congestion, new servers for FFXIV are on their way. In the meantime, Square Enix has worked to relieve the congestion on the servers. The developer has risen the login cap, implemented a shorter AFK timer, and prioritized paying subscribers of the game over free trial users. Furthermore, Square Enix has even stopped selling the Starter and Complete Editions of the game temporarily, all in hope that the congestion will be relieved.
As Final Fantasy XIV’s popularity continues to grow in part due to Endwalker, fans hope for less congestion and less time waiting in the online queue to play. If Square Enix was able to fix the game’s notorious grapes after online discussions about them, it’s likely it will deliver on creating more servers to alleviate congestion.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for PC.
Sources: PC Gamer, Square Enix
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