When it started, no one was prepared. Not Square Enix, and certainly not the players. The first recorded mention of the incident was January 1, 2016 in a chat conversation. The player's in-game name was Markus Millennial, who at the time was running through the Void Ark raid as a Dark Knight. Because it was the first event, isolated to a single person at the time, Square Enix only saved the chat conversation from that time along with some other useless data.
The conversation was translated from it's original language.
[20:20] [FC] Markus M. Gonna have to drop this VA run .
[20:20] (Lilala Lam) щ(ºДºщ)
[20:20] ((α L.B.)) Waiting on healer
[20:21] (Markus Millennial) Guys I can't log off.
[20:21] (Markus Millennial) mt
[20:21] (Lilala Lam) Just stay for the run. We're almost clear.
[20:21] [FC] Markus M. Guys I can't log off.
[20:22] (Markus Millennial) I've gotta go. Too many wipes.
[20:22] (Chicken Little) Just stay.
[20:22] [FC] Reenee A. What do you mean?
[20:22] [FC] Lilala L. ?
[20:23] ((γ C.L.)) lol brd pull
Chicken Little has marked Yunii Strife as Do Not Attack.
[20:23] [FC] Markus M. I mean I can't log off.
[20:23] [FC] Markus M. Guys I can't move
[20:23] [FC] Markus M. Okay, freaking out now.
[20:23] [FC] Hola H. o.o!
[20:23] [FC] Markus M. tyihbnoiheg8aoaerfahgeuvriahha
[20:24] [FC] Markus M. i can't talk either
[20:24] [FC] Markus M. the hells going on
[20:24] [FC] Markus M. help
Another event like the one experienced by Markus Millennial's player wasn't experienced again until two months later. By then, however, it was not an isolated event but something that could be likened to a endemic.
One by one, people across the various data centers discovered they couldn't log out of Final Fantasy XIV. A few sent reports to Square Enix using the report function within the game, while others who were unsure what was happening panicked, and started using the shout chat function in the game.
This endemic was not taken seriously by the majority of the player base, unfortunately, as those not affected by the strange occurrence denounced these players. For their cries of help they were labelled pranksters, trolls, or the like.
Markus Millennial was last reported to have logged in January 2, 2016. The player likely distanced himself from the game after the incident.
Try as Square Enix might, the company attempted to establish a cause to these unusually happenings, but between the dates of March 3, 2016 and July 18, 2016 the company maintained that they had no evidence of players being unable to logout of Final Fantasy XIV. Any players reporting such incidents were abusing the report function to propagate a hoax.
The game lead for FFXIV went so far as to address the player base and assure them that the issue was being looked into. Some fans, however, were doubtful any action was being taken.
It wasn't until August 30, 2016 that the first reported kill was logged, amidst the week long celebration of the games re-launch from August 27, 2013.
[08:01] [6] O'Wizroo L. damn
[08:02] [6] Norman R. What's up Wiz?
You wave to O'Wizroo Lhrisk
[08:02] [6] O'Wizroo L. Hey Rock
Loomy Oswald has logged in.
[08:02] [6] O'Wizroo L. You gunna be on for llong?
[08:02] [6] O'Wizroo L. nee some help
[08:02] [2] Nyrltep N. se.1 Hunt Found! se.4 se.8 Eastern La Noscea (29.6 , 20.7) KILL IT WITH FIER!
[08:02] [FC] L.O. hey
[08:03] [6] Norman R. Depends. Not on for long. What ddo you need help with?
[08:03] [6] Slick W. Probably needs help trolling /b/
[08:03] [6] O'Wizroo L. nah but like I can't log out
[08:04] [6] Slick W. haha trolololing us?
[08:04] [2] Kirito B. Nyr 1 sound plz
[08:02] [FC] M.A. Heyo Loomy
[08:04] [6] Norman R. … Wiz
[08:04] [6] Norman R. Go do that with noobs.
Herp Derp slaps Lunana Nananana.
[08:04] [2] Nyrltep N. Sorry ^^;
[08:04] [6] O'Wizroo L. its tru
[08:04] [6] Norman R. Not us.
You look disgusted with O'Wizroo Lhrisk.
[08:05] [6] Norman R. :/ you were just slamming people for this joke man. It's not funny.
[08:05] [6] O'Wizroo L. i'm not joking. Like seriously. I need help.
[08:05] [6] Norman R. How am I supposed to help?
[08:05] [6] O'Wizroo L. I cant get to my phone
[08:06] [6] O'Wizroo L. its next to my bed
[08:06] [6] O'Wizroo L. and I live alone
[08:06] [6] Norman R. If this ends with a punchline of me calling you a hooker I'm done.
You shrug at O'Wizroo Lhrisk.
[08:07] [6] O'Wizroo L. no. I need you to call my fam.
[08:07] [6] O'Wizroo L. i think I'm dying…
[08:07] [6] T'yrial L. Dramatic much?
O'Wizroo Lhrisk falls over dead.
The cause of death was left unexplained, and no further examinations were made. The player base at large found this story unsettling, but dedicated to the game. Many shared their sympathies, but made excuses for the death being unrelated to FFXIV.
Three weeks later, and three more people died across the game. Two weeks after that, there were five more deaths, and no clear explanation. Plenty of forums and message boards speculated, or posited theories as to the cause, but ultimately there was no basis.
People were dying.
People playing Final Fantasy XIV were dying.
At least, for that time. After the first nine reported cases, no other mysterious deaths occurred. And for a time things looked like they were returning to normal.
However, on January 17, 2017 another incident registered. Square Enix had, since the nine deaths, mobilized a series of computer codes that would automatically begin recording any events which met certain criteria.
In the recording, half a dozen player characters are seen interacting with one another and communicating. Their interactions were not a part of the original coding of the game, and they enacted gestures which other players could not normally re-create. Their dialogue is also missing, as no chat record exists anywhere in the game.
The players were monitored for a period of one week. During which they did not log out, but were instead seen throughout various areas of the game's world. They avoided joining any of the game's dungeons, raids, or additional content that was combat oriented. Their activities were instead confined to activities where combat was either missing completely, or minimal in presence.
After the one week observation period, Square Enix sought to ban the characters on suspicion of hacking.
The ban failed.
The characters remained online, and active for another week. Upon further investigation they displayed habits typical of any other human being. They slept at the in-game inns, ate food regularly, and continued to interact with one another beyond the normal parameters of the game code.
The major difference between this incident, and all previous ones, was that this happened to a group of people at the same time, and on multiple servers.
Square Enix has only one recording where audio was detected.
Language: English
Role: Tank
Class/Job: Paladin
Level 60
iLevel 260
Instance Type: Raids (Heavensward)
Instance Name: Alexander - The Heart of the Creator (Savage)
Character List:
Bard Tanne (Paladin) - Midlander
Jolly Glass (Warrior) - Seawolf
Mewster Purrfect (Ninja) - Sunseeker
Chun Chunmaru (Dragoon) - Dunesfolk
Ino Uchiha (Black Mage) - Raen
Tutei Urumet (Bard) - Xaela
Misty Foxx (Scholar) - Sunseeker
Kokoko Kokoko (White Mage) - Dunesfolk
I'm trying a thing. Let me know what you think. More chapters to come :)