On Thursday, December 16, FFXIV Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida released a response providing several updates addressing current congestion issues.
Players are currently experiencing extremely long wait times due to the dense concentration of play hours which far exceed server capacity, especially during the peak times. To reduce congestion, the sale and delivery of FINAL FANTASY XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition will be temporarily suspended. Additionally, although those with an active subscription are prioritized to log in, Free Trial players are unable to log in outside of late night and early morning hours. Thus, new registrations for the Free Trial will also be temporarily suspended.
Expansion packs and Collector's Edition digital upgrades will continue to be available for existing players so that they may upgrade as needed.
Additionally, all players who currently own the full version of the game and have an active subscription as of Tuesday, December 21, at 12:00 a.m. (PST) / 8:00 (GMT), will be granted additional game time compensation.
Read Naoki Yoshida’s full statement on the Lodestone.