[2020] RPG, I really hope you reconsider not having Emerald upgraded before the update rolls out.

Escalation is going to be PS2's big relaunch and probably its final chance to regain relevance among the wider gaming space, and you're absolutely going to need to make the best first impression you can with this. All the other servers have been upgraded, but Emerald - the biggest one - is apparently still on the original 2012 hardware from what I've heard, since you apparently haven't found a big enough lull period to comfortably spin it down for an extended period of time. But it's just not going to be able to handle the influx of new players in the current state it's in and its choking performance is going to drive many of them away who would've otherwise stuck around with a smooth experience.

Even if it means something like having to take Emerald down for the entire next week before the launch, having it ready to go on the new hardware in time for the update to hit will only be a positive in the long-term, especially because you wouldn't have to worry about finding that same lull period after that wave of new players has finally arrived. Best to do it now while the player count is still relatively low, even if it's been rising in the lead-up.

This is the big moment. Let's stack the deck in our favor as much as we can so that we have the biggest possible chance of getting Escalation right on the first try.