Endwalker Has Sold Over 4 Million Copies as of February 2023
Launch Performance
Endwalker sold a record-breaking 902,000 copies in its first week after launching on December 7, 2021. This marked an 18% increase over the previous expansion, Shadowbringers.
By February 2022, just 3 months after release, total Endwalker sales hit 3.57 million copies according to Square Enix.
The huge demand far exceeded the development team‘s expectations. It led to nearly a month of congestion and long login queues as new servers were urgently deployed. At one point Square Enix even temporarily halted digital sales of the entire game.
Endwalker First Week Sales vs Other FFXIV Expansions
| Expansion | First Week Sales |
|---|---|
| Endwalker | 902,000 copies |
| Shadowbringers (2019) | 764,000 copies |
| Stormblood (2017) | 604,000 copies |
Ongoing Sales Performance in 2022 and 2023
By November 2022 over 4 million copies of Endwalker were sold according to producer Naoki Yoshida.
While official 2023 sales figures are not yet available, analysts expect continued growth based on FFXIV‘s total player base topping 26 million registered accounts in February 2023.
Much of this momentum comes from new players trying out the game after positive critical reception of Endwalker.
Registered FFXIV Accounts Over Time
| Date | Registered Accounts |
|---|---|
| Feb 2021 | 22 million |
| Feb 2022 | 24 million |
| Feb 2023 | 26 million |
Critically, active players hit a new record of 47,000 concurrent players logged in following Endwalker‘s 6.1 patch. This showcases exceptional player retention and engagement with new content updates.
Prior to its launch, over 1 million preorders were recorded for Endwalker – representing high anticipation among existing players too.
The influx of new and returning players has firmly established FFXIV as #2 in the MMORPG market behind World of Warcraft. It hit a peak concurrency of 1.7 million active players in March 2022.
How Endwalker Sales Compare to Prior FFXIV Expansions
Endwalker has notably outsold previous FFXIV expansions by a significant margin, cementing its status as the most popular release yet:
- Shadowbringers sold approx 5.4 million copies lifetime as of 2021.
- Stormblood sold around 4.7 million copies after 4 years.
Therefore, Endwalker sales have already exceeded Shadowbringers lifetime total – and in just 1 year! This highlights how the positive momentum driving new players into the game.
In terms of revenue impact, the FFXIV franchise as a whole generated $511 million and comprised 22% of total sales for Square Enix in financial year 2021 thanks largely to Endwalker‘s performance. This was a 40% revenue increase over the prior year.
Critical Reception & Review Scores
Critically, Endwalker received widespread acclaim from gaming publications:
- 94 Metascore based on 64 critic reviews
- 9.2 User Score on Metacritic
- "Masterpiece" – IGN, GameSpot, RPG Fan
Praise centered on Endwalker successfully delivering a dramatic and poignant conclusion to the game‘s overarching 10+ year narrative. It brings long time characters‘ stories to an emotional crescendo.
The expansion was lauded as both a satisfying finale for loyal veteran players, while also providing an excellent jumping in point for new fans with the closing of previous plot lines.
The Road Ahead for FFXIV
With the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga concluded, 2023 presents an inflection point for FFXIV. How can it carry forward momentum while opening up a new era for the game?
Producer Yoshida outlined a 5-10 year roadmap for future content, likely taking players to brand new locations. A new cinematic trailer dropped intriguing hints about forthcoming storylines.
While unknown, analysts predict Endwalker‘s positive word of mouth will likely drive strong sales growth for FFXIV in 2024 and beyond.
This could potentially see it threatening long-time category leader World of Warcraft – an outcome unthinkable just a few years ago. If any MMORPG can dethrone WoW eventually, the safe bet is on FFXIV.
