Square Enix May Pursue Legal Action Against Final Fantasy 14 Mod

Square Enix May Pursue Legal Action Against Final Fantasy 14 Mod

Summary

  • Final Fantasy 14 developers are aware of the PlayerScope mod and may take legal action against its creator.
  • PlayerScope allows access to private player information, leading to concerns about stalking and harassment.
  • Using mods in FF14 is strictly prohibited, and Square Enix relies on player reports to enforce this rule.

On the Final Fantasy 14 forums, game producer and director Naoki Yoshida stated that Square Enix may take legal action against the author of the controversial PlayerScope mod. Yoshida also reiterated the company’s stance against using mods to play Final Fantasy 14 and said the development and operations teams remain aware of the situation.

Final Fantasy 14 players voiced concerns over the PlayerScope mod in early January. The mod in question used the AccountID information in the game’s client-side folders to give users access to information about another player without the target’s consent, such as their main and alternate characters, retainers, and other bits of data that are not usually available for other players to see. This led to concerns that it could be used to stalk and harass other players. However, the game’s terms of service strictly prohibit using any mods or third-party tools within Final Fantasy 14. Since Final Fantasy 14 does not use any anti-cheat clients to deter mod usage, Square Enix relies on player reports and visual proof as evidence to take action against any offenders.

Related

Final Fantasy 14 Patch 7.16 Has An Odd Translation Error

Following the launch of Final Fantasy 14’s 7.16 update, players point out that a translation error has slipped through the cracks.

Although Final Fantasy 14 is no stranger to controversial mod usage, the latest incident prompted a direct response from Yoshida. The Final Fantasy 14 producer and director released a statement on the game’s forums, and stated that the company has confirmed PlayerScope’s existence, and acknowledged its intended usage. Yoshida said that the development and operations teams are considering legal action against PlayerScope’s author and requesting that further distribution of PlayerScope be removed and deleted. Following initial reports about PlayerScope, the mod has been removed from sites such as GitHub and Gittea due to mass reports from users. However, it is possible that the problematic mod could still be distributed elsewhere.

Final Fantasy 14 Addresses PlayerScope Mod Controversy

  • Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida stated that the developers are aware of PlayerScope.
  • The team is considering legal action against the mod’s creator, along with takedowns of the controversial mod.
  • The use of mods and third-party tools in Final Fantasy 14 is strictly prohibited by the game’s terms of use.
  • Square Enix assured players no personal or payment information can be accessed with PlayerScope.

Yoshida also assured players that account information, such as addresses and payment information, cannot be exposed via client-side mods like PlayerScope. He closed his statement by reiterating that Final Fantasy 14 will continue to oppose mod usage that threatens players’ safety. Yoshida’s stance is consistent with past statements, including ones made following the release of The Omega Protocol (Ultimate) raid in early 2023.

Square Enix punished the offending raiders and stripped them of their world-first honors after video evidence was posted of one player using a mod to make the camera pan out farther than intended, thereby trivializing the fight. Though Final Fantasy 14 is gearing up to release Patch 7.2 in the coming months, it remains to be seen what further changes Square Enix will make to improve player safety following the PlayerScope incident.

News Source link