Final Fantasy XIV has been dropping major news globally for some time, but frankly, domestic interest remained tepid. The domestic server lagged behind the global release, leaving players waiting for content that felt miles away. That particular barrier finally crumbled on April 29. With the arrival of the 7.5 patch, the domestic server is now synced with the global version, finally giving local players access to the latest content.

Capitalising on this momentum, FFXIV has surged in this week's Gamemeca popular game rankings. It climbed back to 35th place in just one week, with a significant spike in PC bang usage. The move to expand the free play trial up to the level 80 'Shadowbringers' expansion, coupled with a 'burning event' offering double PC bang points for cosmetic items, clearly fired up the player base.

Previously, the attention of domestic FFXIV players was split between the Korean and global scenes. Since content arrived late here, it always felt like playing catch-up, and because raid strategies were already leaked from abroad, the 'newness' of updates rarely lasted long. Aligning the domestic progress with the global schedule was a mandatory step for keeping players engaged long-term.

Patch 7.5 sets the stage for a synchronized future. The real test now is whether Actoz Soft, having managed the Korean service for over a decade since 2015, can maintain high-quality localization and operations under this new, tighter schedule. If the quality of the Korean translation dips, the hard-won 'simultaneous patch' loses its lustre. Can they handle this new challenge? We shall see.

The biggest riser this week is 'Neverness to Everness', which launched on April 29. It jumped 25 spots to land at 20th place, signaling a serious start in the popularity race. Developed by Perfect World Games, this new subculture title follows a protagonist solving anomalies in the 'Hetiro City', a place where the mundane and the supernatural collide. It generated buzz pre-launch with its 'urban fantasy' theme and a more forgiving monetization model that promises to scrap 'off-banner pulls'.

Initial reception for Neverness to Everness has been mixed. Players are praising the depth of its side content—from intricate car systems and housing to café management and racing—alongside engaging side quests. However, the early narrative has been labelled as childish, and the mascot character 'Tagido' has become a point of contention among players. Some find the character so unappealing that it’s hindering their gameplay experience, a feedback loop the developers might want to address sooner rather than later.

At the top, Lost Ark stumbled, falling five spots to 14th. This is the first time in five years—since the mass migration of 2021 that fueled its resurgence—that it has failed to crack the Top 10. With no major news from Lost Ark itself, the rise of MapleStory Worlds (thanks to the hype around Maple Planet) and Sudden Attack's aggressive push for returning players seem to have pushed it down the ladder. It’s high time they pull out a winning card to halt this decline.

In the mid-tier, Wuthering Waves soared 13 spots to 17th. It’s worth noting that it actually outperformed Neverness to Everness to take the lead among subculture-themed games. Since overhauling the story issues that plagued its launch, Wuthering Waves is enjoying a 'second golden age'. The new character 'Xiangli Yao' (Hiyuki), released in the April 30 update, has been a massive hit thanks to her high production quality and solid gameplay performance.