All Final Fantasy XIV server populations (September 2024)

There could be bonuses in store if the right server is chosen.

A house with trees and a gazebo in FFXIV.
Screenshot by Dot Esports

When you first load into Final Fantasy XIV, you need to find your character a World and Data Center to play on. The options may seem limitless, but you still want to pick one that suits your playstyle and personal requirements.

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Depending on the server, players might be unable to make a character on some Data Centers. For example, at the time of writing, the Crystal Data Center is considered congested, meaning players cannot make any characters on Crystal. They must choose one of the other three North American Data Centers.

Each Final Fantasy XIV Data Center has a vibe, but no matter which one you choose, you’ll find players who fit your playstyle. For example, in the North American Data Centers, Aether is considered a place where more hardcore players gather, while Crystal is for casual players who like to roleplay or enjoy the social scene.

Which Data Center and World to choose in Final Fantasy XIV

FFXIV characters pose with their weapons.
A crowded server might sound fun, but it’s not that simple. Image via Square Enix

Now that Data Center travel is a thing, players don’t need to weigh their options as much as they used to. As long as it is within the same region, players can hop in Data Centers if the World they’re going to isn’t maxed out with players online. That likely won’t be an issue except when patches drop because more players return to complete the story, and Data Center travel almost comes to a screeching halt. Wait times are typically anywhere from a minute to three, but the wait can be 10 minutes or more when new updates and expansions come around.

Choosing a World depends on several factors. Players who want to play with friends can do so on any regional Data Center. For example, players in North American Data Centers cannot travel to Data Centers in the EU region. But for ease, players should choose a World their friends are on, so having to travel to different Worlds or Data Centers is less common.

Players can only do certain things when visiting other Worlds or Data Centers. For example, players don’t have access to their Retainers when visiting other servers, which can be a pain if they’re doing events like Treasure Hunt, where only a certain number of maps can be held in their inventories. So when choosing a World and Data Center, these must be considered.

What does each status mean for Worlds in Final Fantasy XIV?

Knowing which Worlds have a server status of “Preferred” is important for those who don’t have everything leveled to 90. Preferred and new Worlds bonus players who create characters there or move over a character from a congested or standard World. Here’s an explanation of what the World statuses mean:

  • New World: These Worlds are new and players who transfer or create new characters there receive bonuses.
  • Congested World: These Worlds are crowded, and the game won’t allow any new characters to be made or transferred there.
  • Standard World: There are no bonuses on these Worlds and new players can be created or transferred to them.
  • Preferred World: Worlds that are underpopulated. They get special bonuses for creating a new character there or transferring one.

Players can see the different bonuses they are awarded for joining new or preferred Worlds on the Lodestone.

Here are all the server populations in Final Fantasy XIV and their statuses. The information for the server populations was obtained from ffxivcensus. A World marked with an asterisk means the world is considered standard, but new characters can’t be created or transferred there.

North American Final Fantasy XIV Data Center

World nameTotal populationWorld status
Adamantoise570,213Congested
Balmung305,375Congested
Behemoth565,189Standard*
Brynhildr704,529Standard
Cactuar481,612,Standard
Coeurl630,744Standard
Diabolos694,615Standard
Excalibur497,717Standard
Exodus688,048Standard
Faerie514,471Standard
Famfrit713,173Standard
Gilgamesh432,834Standard
Goblin679,971Standard
Halicarnassus84,582New
Hyperion515,618Standard
Jenova520,010Standard
Lamia668,692Standard
Leviathan506,691Standard
Maduin55,906New
Malboro733,972Standard
Marilith60,699New
Mateus539,707Congested
Midgardsormr599,511Congested
Sargatanas551,059Standard
Siren103,399Congested
Seraph623,172New
Ultros648,452Standard
Zalera689,964Standard

Japanese Final Fantasy XIV Data Center

World nameTotal populationWorld status
Aegis195,183Standard
Alexander166,138Standard
Anima162,398Standard
Asura194,982Standard
Atomos216,996Standard
Bahamut164,427Standard
Belias220,198Standard
Carbuncle190,453Standard
Chocobo157,642Standard
Durandal179,310Standard
Fenrir154,711Standard
Garuda185,695Preferred
Gungnir182,362Preferred
Hades178,883Standard
Ifrit178,618Standard
Ixion165,502Standard
Kujata259,900Standard
Mandragora167,588Standard
Masamune186,992Standard
Pandaemonium197,558Standard
Ramuh216,905Preferred
Ridill175,119Standard
Shinryu162,855Preferred
Tiamat167,179Standard
Titan180,816Standard
Tonberry235,132Standard*
Typhon234,713Standard
Ultima193,002Standard
Unicorn209,059Standard
Valefor200,790Preferred
Yojimbo208,960Standard
Zeromus201,532Standard

European Final Fantasy XIV Data Center

World nameTotal populationWorld status
Alpha219,676Standard
Cerberus596,586Standard
Lich829,766Standard
Louisoix640,730Preferred
Moogle644,547Standard
Odin601,526Standard
Omega523,980Standard*
Phantom242,933Preferred
Phoenix625,166Standard
Ragnarok551,864Standard
Raiden268,027Standard
Sagittarius260,428Preferred
Shiva612,386Standard*
Spriggan459,109Standard*
Twintania520,373Standard
Zodiark820,218Standard*

Oceana Final Fantasy XIV Data Center

World nameTotal populationWorld status
Bismark65,375New
Ravana74,975New
Sephirot84,182New
Sophia92,255New
Zurvan64,269New
Author
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Zack Palm
Staff Writer
Zack Palm has been writing about video games for the past five years. He spends his free time trying to learn about a new board, reading high-fantasy series, or working on his latest DnD character.