Final Fantasy XIV implements compensation after security-related login outage

Square Enix has announced compensation for Final Fantasy XIV players following a temporary suspension of new logins. The disruption was caused by emergency security reinforcement work required to mitigate two critical PHP vulnerabilities, identified as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619.

To compensate for the lockout, accounts with valid subscription packages as of October 22, 2026, will receive four days of free game time. This extension also applies to retainer services and Chocobo saddlebag access. Distribution is scheduled for October 26, 2026. Certain access types, including PC Bang access, consumption-based billing, and free-play benefits, are excluded from this compensation.

In addition to subscription extensions, management has adjusted the schedules for in-game events. The ‘Eorzea Exploration Ticket’ promotion and the ‘Adventurer Custom Healthcare Program’ have both had their active periods and reward collection deadlines extended to account for the downtime.

During the outage, the player community organized a ‘PHP Watering Service’ on Reddit to prevent the loss of in-game crops. Players remaining in the game volunteered to water the gardens of those locked out to ensure that time-sensitive harvests, such as Thavnarian Onions, were not lost due to the server maintenance.