Final Fantasy 14 players that wanted to secure tickets to the upcoming FanFest in Las Vegas are out of luck, as the remaining tickets to the event were sold out. The news came just days after Final Fantasy 14 hosted a lottery for current subscribers that allowed them to purchase up to two tickets prior to the general sales period held earlier today.
During the launch period of Final Fantasy 14 Patch 6.35, which brought new content for both crafters and fans of the Hildibrand quest series, Square Enix notified players via email who were selected in a subscriber-only ticket lottery that they could purchase up to two tickets for the 2023 North American FanFest that will take place this July in Las Vegas. Once all players who were chosen were notified and purchased their tickets during that window, Square Enix was left with several thousand tickets for today's general sales period.
But, within 42 minutes of the general sales period going live, Final Fantasy 14 announced on social media that all the remaining tickets for FanFest were sold out. While some players were able to secure tickets during this window of opportunity, some players still felt miffed and angry at Square Enix for the way it handled the distribution of FanFest tickets. While Square Enix stated yesterday that tickets would be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis, today's lottery placed would-be purchasers in a queue that randomized their spot in line just minutes prior to the FanFest general sales period opening, in an effort to deter scalpers and bots from scooping up tickets.
Suffice it to say, this did not sit well with Final Fantasy 14 players that were unable to secure tickets to FanFest. With some players already angry at Square Enix over recent controversies, such as the lalafell lifter that was added in Patch 6.35, others took to social media to criticize Square Enix for not only the ticket sales but for not securing enough floor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center. While FanFest will be held at the same time as two other events, it is currently not known how much of the available floor space will be utilized by Square Enix come July.
However, players that want to ask questions about FanFest and what lies ahead for Final Fantasy 14 may have an opportunity soon. Game director and producer Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida will host a panel at PAX East next weekend that will answer some players' burning questions. Whether any questions about the company's handling of FanFest tickets will come up or not remains to be seen.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.