Final Fantasy 14 players that return "accidentally refunded" housing lottery gil will get a new item

Final Fantasy 14 is asking fans who were "accidentally refunded" in-game currency, gil, during the MMORPG's recent housing lottery kerfuffle to "voluntarily return" their deposits.

In a detailed update on the official website, Square Enix confirmed it has added an NPC "by which players may voluntarily return the deposit", relying on fans' goodwill to return any profits they have had erroneously refunded.

Back in April, Yoshida apologized to players after it was discovered that the game's new housing lottery system was broken and had "extensive and persistent" errors. It became apparent that the new feature - which came into the game as part of the 6.1 Patch - was malfunctioning when some players participating in lotteries received messages informing them that they were unsuccessful because there "were no participants in this lottery", and others were told the winning lottery number was "0", even though that number was unassignable and no player could select it.

At the time, producer Naoki Yoshida assured fans that "as these housing lottery issues have been significant and caused great stress and frustration in many players, we have no intention of performing a data rollback to forcibly rescind any refunded gil," but did suggest that players would be encouraged to make a "voluntary return of housing deposits" - and now that time has come.

Now players will be able to speak to the Housing Lottery Clerk in Empyreum to "voluntarily return their deposit". Fans that do so will receive an item: a poster (thanks, TheGamer). All of them carry various messages of apology, with two featuring Namazu and one showing Lalafell.

Final Fantasy 14 fans recently took to the MMORPG's subreddit to ask for help to cover the cost of Final Fantasy 14 subscriptions due to the economic effects of the Russian invasion. 

Without regional pricing on various storefronts, Final Fantasy 14 streamers - some of whom were living in Ukraine before relocating because of the war - revealed that because of the conflict, the subscription price had all but doubled, increasing from 260 to 440 Ukrainian hryvnias. That's the equivalent of two to three days' salary in a country where work opportunities and disposal income is tight.

"I fled Ukraine the morning the war started to the sound of air raid sirens, and it's been an ongoing nightmare to figure out what to do next," Ukrainian streamer Zepla told 12DOVE. "But that's nothing compared to the constant fear people face who are still living in or near war zones or who have family on the front lines. 

"I can't imagine how much worse this would be if I didn't have access to Final Fantasy 14. It's helped to get my mind off things and the community has helped me feel less alone. 

"Being a refugee can be incredibly isolating, moving from one temporary stay to the next, unable to put down roots anywhere. Final Fantasy 14 has been those roots, and for many it's the one place they can still find some refuge amidst the real-world chaos that doesn't seem to be stopping soon," they added. "Gaming helps those who have been forced to flee stay in touch with those who cannot."

Final Fantasy 16's Naoki Yoshida thinks the series is "currently struggling" to keep up with the times.