FFXIV has a serious housing problem, and fans hope the Island Sanctuary in Endwalker will solve it. I’ve been playing FFXIV since 1.0, and I still have never owned a home. I’ve only ever had a private room in my Free Company houses. That’s been fine, but what’s the point of crafting awesome furnishings for a home if you don’t have the power to do anything with it? There are a ton of FFXIV fans that are excited about the Island Sanctuary portion of Endwalker. It’s going to be a place where people can take it slow and live out their Harvest Moon fantasies in a prettier way than ever before. What’s the problem, and how could this possibly solve it, though?

While I love FFXIV, Housing is one of the biggest problems in the game right now. It feels impossible to get a house of any size, even the smallest ones. Securing one is a major achievement. So people who want to do their gardening, farming food or herbs cannot do so easily. Sure, you could probably do it at your FC’s spot, but that’s not your space. That’s what FFXIV’s Island Sanctuary could help us with. We’re going to the Moon, but there will be important work to do on Eorzea.

But what is the Island Sanctuary? On November 5, there will be a Letter from the Producer to tell us more, but there is information out there right now. We don’t always have to do constant battles and grind in FFXIV. Sometimes, we kick back and relax. Relaxing is the hardest thing for me. Even when I’m doing nothing, I still want to be doing something. That’s where Island Sanctuary will help me (and probably keep me logged in way longer in FFXIV). 

The Island Sanctuary is a space you can create for yourself in FFXIV. This means you will have a space in the world that doesn’t require specific requirements. You don’t need to spend millions of Gil to buy a house, join a Free Company, any of that. Yoshi-P (Naoki Yoshida) spoke about it specifically:

“Think of it as a mode that allows you to create your own space without the need to fulfill requirements set up by others or competing with other players. You can tend to your animals and crops, expand the territory on your island, and let your minions roam free. As such, it’s a mode through which you can enjoy the slow life.”

It’s casual content for FFXIV that you can do at your own pace, as you want to do it. You can expand your farm/island territory, raise animals, grow crops. You can even let your minions wander and roam free! 

Hopefully, my Kefka Minion doesn’t destroy everything. It’s an incredibly exciting prospect, that’s for sure. There have been hints of actual buildings on this Island Sanctuary in FFXIV too! This hasn’t been confirmed that I’m aware of, but it would make things so wonderful. If we had a little house to call home on the Island Sanctuary, people could have those to customize without stress about buying a huge house. It’s not going to be enough for everyone – some people want huge mansions, after all. But for many players, this is going to be the salve they need. 

Some players don’t even really want to do combat, but they love the aesthetic of FFXIV and want to hang out in-game with their friends. Through Island Sanctuary, that could make it a possibility. Island Sanctuaries will also get updated content across the whole of the expansion. Yoshi-P does say it’s not going to be Animal Crossing: New Horizon in FFXIV. But it will be its own experience within the world of Eorzea, and that’s exciting.

It’s something new, and it doesn’t sound like it will be the military bases you set up in World of Warcraft. That was just a tedious hub for dailies. You can bring your friends to your farm and have fun, and maybe they can even help out. Players need access to housing in-game without having to fork over millions of Gil too. It would improve overall morale. Sure, there are free apartments, but the facilities are limited, and you cannot customize them. People want to craft/buy awesome stuff for a small home and customize it. It’s been a pretty hot topic on Reddit.

I for sure know I want it. I still have so many questions. Can people make Gil by this farming? Is it going to cost Gil to use it? If it does, will the prices be reasonable? In theory, this could be a fantastic way to have an alternate leveling system for Crafters/Gatherers. So we’re very excited about Island Sanctuary here at Esports Talk, and when more information comes out, we’ll bring it to you!