Final Fantasy 14 suspends in-game house demolition of players who can't pay subscription during coronavirus lockdown

MMO Final Fantasy 14 is suspending its automatic system of demolishing in-game houses of players who have not recently logged-in due to a lapse in their subscription payments.

The temporary suspension comes in the wake of worldwide lockdowns to level the spread of COVID-19, resulting in many being out of work and unable to pay in-game subscription costs.

"Taking into account the world-wide spread of the COVID-19 (also known as “novel coronavirus”) and the economical effects of various cities going into lock-down, we have decided to temporarily suspend automatic housing demolition," reads a statement from Square Enix.

In Final Fantasy 14, players can purchase in-game plots of land and develop a digital homestead - however, players are also required to log-in semi-regularly to keep their house from being flagged as inactive and, after 45 days, ready for demolition.

In these trying times, paying the $12.99 monthly subscription fee for an MMO seems like a luxury. But while a subscription is still required to play the game, at least players won't have to worry about losing their in-game housing.

Square Enix has not revealed how long this suspension will last, but it is safe to assume at least as long as the lockdown period.