A senior vice president at Sony Interactive Entertainment has been terminated from the company after being reportedly caught in a pedophile sting operation video.

As reported by CNET, George Cacioppo, a senior vice president at SIE, who had been at the company for eight years, was fired after footage from the vigilante justice group People vs Preds alleged he arranged to meet a 15-year-old-boy for sex.

In the video a cameraman posing as the boy in question can be seen walking towards a man they claim to be Cacioppo, before asking if his name is "Jeff". The man, wearing a PS5 t-shirt and whose face is caught on camera, then quickly heads back into the house before closing the door. Following the interaction between the pair, the cameraman can be heard yelling to the neighborhood, "This guy invited over a 15-year-old boy to have sex with him tonight."

While the identity of the man hasn't officially been confirmed, the group also posted a number of screenshots, which they claim detail conversations taking place prior to the encounter on the social media platform Grindr. The messages alleged that the pair exchanged photos on the platform and that the man they claim to be Cacioppo had referred to himself as Jeff before agreeing to meet in person.

A statement from Sony sent to Cnet on Sunday confirmed an employee had been fired: "We are aware of the situation and the employee in question has been terminated from employment," the company said. In a separate statement made to Kotaku, People v Preds confirmed that evidence from its sting operation has "been turned over to the authorities."

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Marvel has shown off footage of its mightiest heroes belting out a beloved Christmas Carol - or at least it's spliced together snippets from dozens of MCU films which together play a very familiar song.

The official Twitter account for Marvel UK has shared footage showing off some of the franchise's most beloved heroes (and a villain or two) singing... well, speaking along to "Deck the Halls". While the video is indeed entitled 'The MCU Sings "Deck the Halls"', we're not quite sure any of the characters are truly putting their heart and soul into it. Sorry Hulk.

If you've ever wanted to hear the Avengers sing a Christmas carol, this one's for you... pic.twitter.com/0Ga0Szw7o2

— Marvel UK & Ireland (@MarvelUK) December 4, 2021

The 30-second clip shows a number of snippets from various MCU titles stitched together, during which its esteemed stars are shown 'singing' (air quotes heavily implied) the Christmas classic. Throughout the musical number, Marvel fans can treat themselves to the dulcet tones of fan-favorites such as Hulk (who puts in a pretty decent solo at the song's finale), Dr. Strange, Thanos, and of course Christmas Carol Danvers.

However, there are a few notable absentees. While Marvel's new Disney+ series Hawkeye sees Clint Barton face off against his foes during the holiday season, he's one character who doesn't make the cut. Another of the MCU's notable absentees is Tom Holland's Spider-man. The webhead is set to return to the frame for his latest outing later this month in Spider-Man No Way Home. You can check out the latest posters for the film in our villain's roundup.

While we might not hear a better rendition of Deck the Halls from the Marvel cast anytime soon, there's still plenty to look forward to from the franchise. Following the release of Spider-Man No Way Home, 2022's release schedule includes the likes of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Thor: Love and Thunder, and much more.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

December is shaping up to be another incredible month for Xbox Game Pass subscribers, and is even still running on the steam from November's incredible lineup of Game Pass games like Forza Horizon 5, It Takes Two, and GTA San Andreas. But now, this is the big one. Halo Infinite will launch on December 8, and will be available day one of release on Xbox Game Pass for PC, consoles, and cloud users.

However, that's not all for this month, you can also expect Among Us coming to consoles on December 14, alongside Final Fantasy XIII-2, now available for console and PC users, alongside plenty of other games.

Halo Infinite Will Launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass

Halo Infinite's campaign is launching on December 8 for Xbox, PC, and cloud users. It's available day one for Xbox Game Pass users, and you'll be able to jump straight in on the day.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer had a surprise launch on November 15 as a beta, but will experience its full launch on December 8, alongside a slew of new updates for the free-to-play multiplayer. You can read our full single player review here, alongside the multi-player review right here.

What Time Will Halo Infinite Launch?

Halo Infinite will launch at the same time around the world. If you're playing the game digitally, this is when Halo Infinite will unlock to play in your timezone. In the US, Halo Infinite will be available at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT on December 8 for Xbox Game Pass users on PC, console, and cloud.

• Australia - 5 AM AET (Dec. 9)
• Brazil - 3 PM BRT (Dec. 8)
• China - 2 AM CST (Dec. 9)
• France - 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
• Germany - 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
• Japan - 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
• Mexico - 12 PM CT (Dec. 8)
• South Korea - 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
• United States - 10 AM PT (Dec. 8)
• United Kingdom - 6 PM GMT, Dec. 8)

Can I Pre-Load Halo Infinite?

Xbox Game Pass members can currently pre-install Halo Infinite via the Xbox Game Pass app on their mobile PC. Navigate to Halo Infinite (Campaign) on the app, and click install on your chosen console.

Halo Infinite’s install size on Xbox Series X is 74.3 GB, while on PC it clocks up to 100 GB. The campaign takes up 48.4 GB on your console, 25.9 GB for the multiplayer. You can see these numbers directly on your console after you pre-load the game. From the game’s Steam pages, you can see that it's (50 GB for Campaign and 50 GB for multiplayer).

What's Coming to Xbox Game Pass in December 2021

• ANVIL (Game Preview) – December 2 [Console, PC)
• Archvale – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Lawn Mowing Simulator – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Rubber Bandits – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Stardew Valley – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Townscaper – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator – December 7 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Halo Infinite – December 8 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 – December 9 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Aliens: Fireteam Elite – December 14 (Console, PC)
• Among Us – December 14 (Console)
• The Gunk – December 16 (Console, PC, Cloud)

Best Game Pass Deals in December 2021

Microsoft is currently offering 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for only $1. Both first time and past subscribers are eligible for this deal. Now there's a trick to convert these 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC into 4 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

This will require you to pay for an additional month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means new subscribers will pay a total of $2 for 4 months of Ultimate while those who have subscribed in the past (and are currently not subscribed right now) will pay a total of $15.99. Follow these steps to get in on this deal.

If you're new to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

1. Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
2. Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 (1 month)
3. Total cost for 4 months will be $2

If you've had Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

1. Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
2. Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $14.99 (1 month)
3. Total cost for 4 months will be $15.99

Game Pass Ultimate: Users Now Get Monthly Bonuses for Halo Infinite

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users can now gain access to monthly bonuses in Halo Infinite, just for being signed up for the service.

The first of these, coming with the release on December 8, Game Pass Ultimate users will be able to get their hands on an exclusive 'Pass Tense' MA40 Assault Rifle coating.

What's Leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021

Here's everything leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021, including Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Guacamelee! 2, Beholder, and more.

• Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Console, Cloud) – December 8
• Beholder (Console, Cloud) – December 15
• The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Console, PC) – December 15
• Guacamelee! 2 (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Wilmot’s Warehouse (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Unto The End (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15

Sony is Working on a Game Pass Competitor for PlayStation

Accodoring to sources at Bloomberg, Sony is working on a competing Xbox Game Pass service, named “Spartacus”. Similar to Game Pass, PlayStation owners can pay a monthly fee for access to a library of modern and classic games.

The new service is expected to launch in spring 2022 and will merge Sony’s two existing subscription services PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

December is shaping up to be another incredible month for Xbox Game Pass subscribers. December is still running on the steam from November's incredible lineup of Game Pass games like Forza Horizon 5, It Takes Two, and GTA San Andreas. But now, this is the big one. Halo Infinite will launch on December 8, and will be available day one of release on Xbox Game Pass for PC, consoles, and cloud users.

However, that's not all for this month, you can also expect Among Us coming to consoles on December 14, alongside Final Fantasy XIII-2, now available for console and PC users, alongside plenty of other games.

Halo Infinite Will Launch Day One on Xbox Game Pass

Halo Infinite's campaign is launching on December 8 for Xbox, PC, and cloud users. It's available day one for Xbox Game Pass users, and you'll be able to jump straight in on the day.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer had a surprise launch on November 15 as a beta, but will experience its full launch on December 8, alongside a slew of new updates for the free-to-play multiplayer.

What Time Will Halo Infinite Launch?

Halo Infinite will launch at the same time around the world. If you're playing the game digitally, this is when Halo Infinite will unlock to play in your timezone. In the US, Halo Infinite will be available at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT on December 8 for Xbox Game Pass users on PC, console, and cloud.

• Australia - 5 AM AET (Dec. 9)
• Brazil - 3 PM BRT (Dec. 8)
• China - 2 AM CST (Dec. 9)
• France - 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
• Germany - 7 PM CET (Dec. 8)
• Japan - 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
• Mexico - 12 PM CT (Dec. 8)
• South Korea - 3 AM JST (Dec. 9)
• United States - 10 AM PT (Dec. 8)
• United Kingdom - 6 PM GMT, Dec. 8)

What's Coming to Xbox Game Pass in December 2021

• ANVIL (Game Preview) – December 2 [Console, PC)
• Archvale – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Final Fantasy XIII-2 – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Lawn Mowing Simulator – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Rubber Bandits – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Stardew Valley – December 2 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Townscaper – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector – December 2 (Console, PC)
• Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator – December 7 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Halo Infinite – December 8 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• One Piece Pirate Warriors 4 – December 9 (Console, PC, Cloud)
• Aliens: Fireteam Elite – December 14 (Console, PC)
• Among Us – December 14 (Console)
• The Gunk – December 16 (Console, PC, Cloud)

Best Game Pass Deals in December 2021

Microsoft is currently offering 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC for only $1. Both first time and past subscribers are eligible for this deal. Now there's a trick to convert these 3 months of Xbox Game Pass for PC into 4 months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

This will require you to pay for an additional month of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. That means new subscribers will pay a total of $2 for 4 months of Ultimate while those who have subscribed in the past (and are currently not subscribed right now) will pay a total of $15.99. Follow these steps to get in on this deal.

If you're new to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

1. Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
2. Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $1 (1 month)
3. Total cost for 4 months will be $2

If you've had Xbox Game Pass Ultimate:

1. Sign up for Xbox Game Pass for PC for $1 (3 months)
2. Upgrade to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $14.99 (1 month)
3. Total cost for 4 months will be $15.99

Halo Infinite: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Subscribers Will Get Monthly Bonuses

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate users can now gain access to monthly bonuses in Halo Infinite, just for being signed up for the service.

The first of these, coming with the release on December 8, Game Pass Ultimate users will be able to get their hands on an exclusive 'Pass Tense' MA40 Assault Rifle coating.

What's Leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021

Here's everything leaving Xbox Game Pass in December 2021, including Destiny 2 Beyond Light, Guacamelee! 2, Beholder, and more.

• Destiny 2: Beyond Light (Console, Cloud) – December 8
• Beholder (Console, Cloud) – December 15
• The Dark Pictures: Man of Medan (Console, PC) – December 15
• Guacamelee! 2 (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Wilmot’s Warehouse (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Unto The End (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15
• Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair (Console, PC, Cloud) – December 15

Sony is Working on a Game Pass Competitor for PlayStation

Accodoring to sources at Bloomberg, Sony is working on a competing Xbox Game Pass service, named “Spartacus”. Similar to Game Pass, PlayStation owners can pay a monthly fee for access to a library of modern and classic games.

The new service is expected to launch in spring 2022 and will merge Sony’s two existing subscription services PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now.

Robert Anderson is a deals expert and Commerce Editor for IGN. You can follow him @robertliam21 on Twitter.

After a failed bid earlier this year, a UK MP is once again bringing a bill to tackle scalping bots, which have caused issues with supplies of next-gen consoles, graphics cards, and other high-demand goods.

UK Member of Parliament Douglas Chapman has written to the government's Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture, and Sport in the hope to renew interest in legislation that would look to tackle automated scalping bots that have plagued consumers and inflated prices.

Chapman, who is currently the acting MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, is hoping to increase pressure on the government to act on the issue by raising a new motion on the matter after previously bringing forward a bill earlier this year.

“This time last year it was brought to my attention by constituents that scalpers were using automated bots to bulk buy goods for resale leaving consumers with either no option but to purchase these items at hugely inflated prices or go without, a sorry state of affairs at any time, never mind in the run-up to Christmas," explained Chapman in a press release.

“Earlier this year I met with the then Secretary of State at DCMS to highlight this issue; I have now written for a second time to the new Secretary of State for DMCS, Nadine Dorries, to reassess the need to 'ban the bots' to include a wider range of in-demand goods. I have alerted her to the fact that across the Atlantic, our Democrat colleagues have also reawakened their original ‘Stopping Grinch Bots Act’ in a bid to stymie this growing problem and its ill effects on both consumers and retailers.”

Chapman's first bill was brought before Parliament back in March but failed to move any further. Although the bill made no further progress, this won't have come as much a surprise to the MP. At the time, Chapman acknowledged that the bill was unlikely to pass, but held the belief that introducing it in the first place would help to force the government to "take responsibility" over the ongoing issue.

While pressure from MPs in the UK continues to mount over the issue, lawmakers in the US are continuing to do the same. Last week, a number of Democrats reintroduced a bill aimed at stopping scalpers from using bots to hoard products away from consumers. Aptly named the "Stopping Grinch Bots Act," the bill was reintroduced on November 29 by Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

“At a time when families should be able to spend time with their loved ones, digital 'Grinch bots' are forcing Americans to scour online sites in the hopes of finding an affordable gift or paying exorbitant prices for a single toy,” Tonko said in a press release. “These bots don’t just squeeze consumers, they pose a problem for small businesses, local retailers, and other entrepreneurs trying to ensure they have the best items in stock for their customers."

As we enter the holidays, the timeframe for stopping the use of scalping bots this year has long passed. However, those attempting to rectify the matter in government will be hoping that changes are able to come into effect sooner rather than later in order to minimize future problems for shoppers.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

After a failed bid earlier this year, a UK MP is once again bringing a bill to tackle scalping bots, which have caused issues with supplies of next-gen consoles, graphics cards, and other high-demand goods.

UK Member of Parliament Douglas Chapman has written to the government's Secretary of State for Digital, Media, Culture, and Sport in the hope to renew interest in legislation that would look to tackle automated scalping bots that have plagued consumers and inflated prices.

Chapman, who is currently the acting MP for Dunfermline and West Fife, is hoping to increase pressure on the government to act on the issue by raising a new motion on the matter after previously bringing forward a bill earlier this year.

“This time last year it was brought to my attention by constituents that scalpers were using automated bots to bulk buy goods for resale leaving consumers with either no option but to purchase these items at hugely inflated prices or go without, a sorry state of affairs at any time, never mind in the run-up to Christmas," explained Chapman in a press release.

“Earlier this year I met with the then Secretary of State at DCMS to highlight this issue; I have now written for a second time to the new Secretary of State for DMCS, Nadine Dorries, to reassess the need to 'ban the bots' to include a wider range of in-demand goods. I have alerted her to the fact that across the Atlantic, our Democrat colleagues have also reawakened their original ‘Stopping Grinch Bots Act’ in a bid to stymie this growing problem and its ill effects on both consumers and retailers.”

Chapman's first bill was brought before Parliament back in March but failed to move any further. Although the bill made no further progress, this won't have come as much a surprise to the MP. At the time, Chapman acknowledged that the bill was unlikely to pass, but held the belief that introducing it in the first place would help to force the government to "take responsibility" over the ongoing issue.

While pressure from MPs in the UK continues to mount over the issue, lawmakers in the US are continuing to do the same. Last week, a number of Democrats reintroduced a bill aimed at stopping scalpers from using bots to hoard products away from consumers. Aptly named the "Stopping Grinch Bots Act," the bill was reintroduced on November 29 by Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY), Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), and Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM).

“At a time when families should be able to spend time with their loved ones, digital 'Grinch bots' are forcing Americans to scour online sites in the hopes of finding an affordable gift or paying exorbitant prices for a single toy,” Tonko said in a press release. “These bots don’t just squeeze consumers, they pose a problem for small businesses, local retailers, and other entrepreneurs trying to ensure they have the best items in stock for their customers."

As we enter the holidays, the timeframe for stopping the use of scalping bots this year has long passed. However, those attempting to rectify the matter in government will be hoping that changes are able to come into effect sooner rather than later in order to minimize future problems for shoppers.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode has some hidden modes on PC, which seem only to be accessible if you boot up the game in offline mode.

As spotted by Reddit user u/WickedSoldier991, Halo Infinite appears to include 14 additional multiplayer game modes as yet unavailable in the main online game, including unreleased Arena, Fiesta, Ranked and Tactical mode.

Players aren't typically able to access the hidden modes unless they launch the game in offline mode. However, as WickedSoldier991 points out that, once discovered, each of the modes can then be saved so that you can access them yourself when online at a later point.

As standard, Infinite's multiplayer mode currently has 17 different playable modes including the likes of Slayer, Oddball, and Capture the Flag. As well as bringing that total up to 31 different multiplayer picks, the secret additional modes include some brand new ways to play as well.

As per PC Gamer, one of the most interesting modes to come from the hidden list is Attrition. In the new mode, players will find that each team is given a limited number of respawns, while additional features such as revives and a Battle Royale Style closing circle are also said to be present. A full list of the hidden modes can be found below:

A Full List of Hidden Offline Modes:

• Arena: Attrition
• Arena: Attrition Dodgeball
• Arena: Elimination
• Fiesta: Attrition
• Fiesta: CTF
• Fiesta: One Flag CTF
• Fiesta: Strongholds
• Ranked: Elimination
• Ranked: One Flag
• Tactical: Slayer
• Tactical: Slayer Commandos
• Tactical: Slayer Manglers
• Tactical: Slayer Sidekicks
• Tactical: Slayer Stalker Rifles

At present, it seems that the modes can only be accessed on PC and not on Xbox. While it's likely that 343 didn't intend for players to find the modes at this point, the studio has recently been dealing with a number of other issues. As Halo Infinite's launch proper grows ever nearer, the studio has been hard at work tweaking the game's controversial progression system as well as addressing fans' complaints regarding an influx of cheaters in the game.

For more on Halo Infinite, make sure to check out this article discussing how players have been learning to communicate through teabag dancing.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Halo Infinite's multiplayer mode has some hidden modes on PC, which seem only to be accessible if you boot up the game in offline mode.

As spotted by Reddit user u/WickedSoldier991, Halo Infinite appears to include 14 additional multiplayer game modes as yet unavailable in the main online game, including unreleased Arena, Fiesta, Ranked and Tactical mode.

Players aren't typically able to access the hidden modes unless they launch the game in offline mode. However, as WickedSoldier991 points out that, once discovered, each of the modes can then be saved so that you can access them yourself when online at a later point.

As standard, Infinite's multiplayer mode currently has 17 different playable modes including the likes of Slayer, Oddball, and Capture the Flag. As well as bringing that total up to 31 different multiplayer picks, the secret additional modes include some brand new ways to play as well.

As per PC Gamer, one of the most interesting modes to come from the hidden list is Attrition. In the new mode, players will find that each team is given a limited number of respawns, while additional features such as revives and a Battle Royale Style closing circle are also said to be present. A full list of the hidden modes can be found below:

A Full List of Hidden Offline Modes:

• Arena: Attrition
• Arena: Attrition Dodgeball
• Arena: Elimination
• Fiesta: Attrition
• Fiesta: CTF
• Fiesta: One Flag CTF
• Fiesta: Strongholds
• Ranked: Elimination
• Ranked: One Flag
• Tactical: Slayer
• Tactical: Slayer Commandos
• Tactical: Slayer Manglers
• Tactical: Slayer Sidekicks
• Tactical: Slayer Stalker Rifles

At present, it seems that the modes can only be accessed on PC and not on Xbox. While it's likely that 343 didn't intend for players to find the modes at this point, the studio has recently been dealing with a number of other issues. As Halo Infinite's launch proper grows ever nearer, the studio has been hard at work tweaking the game's controversial progression system as well as addressing fans' complaints regarding an influx of cheaters in the game.

For more on Halo Infinite, make sure to check out this article discussing how players have been learning to communicate through teabag dancing.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has apologized to players regarding login problems that have featured in the game since the early access launch of Endwalker. As compensation, paying players will receive 7 days of free play time.

In a post published on the FF14 website, Yoshida delved further into the issues that have contributed to players' frustrations over the weekend.

"Currently, all Worlds across all regions have been hitting the login cap for extremely long periods of time, and the progression of login queues is being slowed dramatically," explained Yoshida in the post.

"Across the FFXIV service as a whole, the number of simultaneous logins has reached the hardware limit, and as a result, logging in has required an extremely long time, especially during 'peak hours' when we tend to see increased player activity. For this, I am truly sorry."

Issues began cropping up in the game following the early access release of Endwalker last week. A number of players attempting to access Endwalker have been thwarted by various errors codes including the infamous error 2002, as well as errors 4004, 5003, and 5006. In the post, Yoshida spoke further about the causes of these errors before explaining that the team is working hard to address the congestion situation.

While errors 4004, 5003, and 5006 occur due to connection timeouts as a result of waiting in the login queue for extremely long periods of time, error 2002 can be caused by two different problems. Players receiving error 2002 can either experience the issue if the login queue reaches its cap of 17,000 players or when their internet connection experiences a moment of network instability. While the post itself doesn't offer any outright solutions to these problems, Yoshida does recommend that players use a hard-wired internet connection to improve stability where possible.

As well as explaining the issues present within the game, Yoshida was also quick to address what compensation the studio would be offering fans in light of the current situation. "Considering that we are asking players to wait in queues for extremely long periods of time and the ongoing situation making it difficult to play normally, we have decided that during the official release of Endwalker on December 7, we will be granting 7 days of free game time to all players who own the full version of the game and have an active subscription," explains Yoshida.

"This also includes players who are currently playing on the 30-day free play period included when registering the full version of the game and those with multiple accounts. Furthermore, we may give additional free game time depending on further developments on the congestion situation. The timing at which the free game time will be provided, as well as any additional extensions, will be announced at a later time. We truly appreciate your cooperation and patience regarding the congestion situation."

While issues with Endwalker's early access launch are still ongoing, the problems weren't entirely unexpected. Prior to its early access release, Square Enix warned players that there could be a number of server issues with the game due to congestion. In its explanation on the topic, the company stated that this is in part due to the ongoing shortage of semiconductors, which has meant that the studio was unable to add new worlds to the game in advance of Endwalker's launch.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has apologized to players regarding login problems that have featured in the game since the early access launch of Endwalker. As compensation, paying players will receive 7 days of free play time.

In a post published on the FF14 website, Yoshida delved further into the issues that have contributed to players' frustrations over the weekend.

"Currently, all Worlds across all regions have been hitting the login cap for extremely long periods of time, and the progression of login queues is being slowed dramatically," explained Yoshida in the post.

"Across the FFXIV service as a whole, the number of simultaneous logins has reached the hardware limit, and as a result, logging in has required an extremely long time, especially during 'peak hours' when we tend to see increased player activity. For this, I am truly sorry."

Issues began cropping up in the game following the early access release of Endwalker last week. A number of players attempting to access Endwalker have been thwarted by various errors codes including the infamous error 2002, as well as errors 4004, 5003, and 5006. In the post, Yoshida spoke further about the causes of these errors before explaining that the team is working hard to address the congestion situation.

While errors 4004, 5003, and 5006 occur due to connection timeouts as a result of waiting in the login queue for extremely long periods of time, error 2002 can be caused by two different problems. Players receiving error 2002 can either experience the issue if the login queue reaches its cap of 17,000 players or when their internet connection experiences a moment of network instability. While the post itself doesn't offer any outright solutions to these problems, Yoshida does recommend that players use a hard-wired internet connection to improve stability where possible.

As well as explaining the issues present within the game, Yoshida was also quick to address what compensation the studio would be offering fans in light of the current situation. "Considering that we are asking players to wait in queues for extremely long periods of time and the ongoing situation making it difficult to play normally, we have decided that during the official release of Endwalker on December 7, we will be granting 7 days of free game time to all players who own the full version of the game and have an active subscription," explains Yoshida.

"This also includes players who are currently playing on the 30-day free play period included when registering the full version of the game and those with multiple accounts. Furthermore, we may give additional free game time depending on further developments on the congestion situation. The timing at which the free game time will be provided, as well as any additional extensions, will be announced at a later time. We truly appreciate your cooperation and patience regarding the congestion situation."

While issues with Endwalker's early access launch are still ongoing, the problems weren't entirely unexpected. Prior to its early access release, Square Enix warned players that there could be a number of server issues with the game due to congestion. In its explanation on the topic, the company stated that this is in part due to the ongoing shortage of semiconductors, which has meant that the studio was unable to add new worlds to the game in advance of Endwalker's launch.

Jared Moore is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.