If you’re a regular player of Final Fantasy XIV, you might have noticed fewer people around lately. An unofficial census by long-time player LuckyBancho shows a clear drop in active characters since the Dawntrail expansion launched in June 2024. This trend is ongoing, with no signs of recovery just yet.
エオルゼアの今を切り取るLodestone国勢調査を先ほど更新
— 幸運番長@FF14 (@LuckyBanchoFF14) May 25, 2025
・アクティブキャラクター数は減少傾向が続き94万に
・クルーザー級零式の踏破状況と歴代コンテンツの難易度比較
・アチーブメント情報で見るコスモエクスプローラーのワールド比較
詳細はリンク先にて #FF14https://t.co/kpuxEe1Yx9
Just before the game’s latest patch (7.25) launched on May 27, LuckyBancho released new findings based on data from The Lodestone, the official FFXIV player database. This census, which has been tracking player activity since the game’s launch, focuses on “active characters.” That means it doesn’t count total player accounts. Instead, it includes characters over level 70 who have shown signs of activity like gaining experience, leveling up, or other stat changes since the last survey.
It’s worth noting that this is not an official Square Enix report. While the census method is helpful for spotting patterns, it does not cover everything and may miss certain types of players—especially those who play less often or use alt accounts.
Fewer new and returning players this time around
Between March and May 2025, active characters dropped from about 990,000 to around 950,000. That’s a loss of 40,000 characters in just two months.
Other statistics show the same trend. The number of newly created characters fell from around 59,000 to 50,000, while the number of returning characters—players who had stopped playing but became active again—dropped by 20,000, from 170,000 to 150,000.
Additionally, the number of characters who stayed active across both surveys (from March to May) dropped by another 20,000.
While a drop in activity can happen between expansions, the consistent decline since Dawntrail is cause for concern. LuckyBancho suggests this isn’t just a seasonal dip or a short-term lull. Instead, it may reflect broader issues within the game itself.
Achievement data points to long-term slowdown
LuckyBancho also shared a chart tracking character activity based on in-game achievements to support this. The chart goes back to the fourth quarter of 2011 and separates characters into three types: new (blue), inactive (green), and active (red), based on their achievement records in each quarter.
While the second quarter of 2025 isn’t over yet—and updates to the graph are still expected—the current trend continues to show fewer new players and more becoming inactive. These figures help paint a broader picture of ongoing player loss.
So, what’s behind the steady decline? According to LuckyBancho, many players were not impressed with the Dawntrail content. Despite regular updates and major patches like 7.2 and now 7.25, many players seem to be drifting away. Even though the 7.2 patch was well-received, it hasn’t been enough to bring many former players back.
Fans must wait and see if future updates can turn the tide. But if the trend continues, Final Fantasy XIV might need more than content updates to hold onto its player base.
