In early 2025, a Final Fantasy 14 mod sparked “stalking” fears amid reports it was in a position to scrape hidden participant information, together with particulars like character data, retainer data, any alternate characters linked to a Sq. Enix account, and far more.
The mod, named “Playerscope,” permits customers to trace particular participant information of anybody within the neighborhood of the individual utilizing it. This data is then despatched to a centralized database managed by the mod writer (regardless of in case you are taking a look at a selected participant, or simply occur to be round different gamers), and tracks data that gamers would often not be permitted to see by way of in-game instruments.
Particularly, the mod gives data on “Content material ID” and “Account ID,” which can be utilized to trace gamers throughout characters. This was performed by manipulating the Content material ID system launched within the Dawntrail enlargement, which in flip let gamers blacklist others throughout their service account and a number of characters.
The one option to stop your account information being scraped by the software is to hitch the non-public Discord channel for Playerscope and decide out. Theoretically, each single Final Fantasy 14 participant who will not be within the Discord channel is having their information scraped. Clearly this can be a important privateness threat, and the neighborhood has been vocal in its response: “the aim is clear, to stalk folks” one commenter famous (*14*).
A number of weeks in the past the mod writer posted on Discord that the plugin was discovered on Github, which led to an explosion in reputation. Resulting from phrases of service violations, Playerscope has now been removed from Github, nevertheless it was allegedly mirrored on comparable web sites Gittea and Gitflic. IGN has verified {that a} Playerscope repository not exists on both various platform. Theoretically, the mod may additionally nonetheless be circulating in non-public communities.
Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida has now issued a press release on Final Fantasy 14’s official forum relating to third-party mods, clearly referencing the emergence of Playerscope. The assertion reads:
“We now have confirmed that there exist third-party instruments which are getting used to verify Final Fantasy 14 character data that’s not displayed throughout regular recreation play. The software is getting used to show a section of an Final Fantasy 14 character’s inner account ID, which is then utilized in an try to additional correlate data on different characters on the identical Final Fantasy 14 service account.
“The Improvement and Operations groups are conscious of the state of affairs and the considerations being raised by the neighborhood and are discussing the next choices:
- Requesting that the software in query be eliminated and deleted.
- Pursuing authorized motion.
“Other than character data that may be checked in-game and on the Lodestone, now we have obtained considerations that private data registered on a consumer’s Sq. Enix account, corresponding to deal with and fee data, is also uncovered with this software. Please relaxation assured that it isn’t doable to entry this data utilizing these third-party instruments.
“We try to supply and preserve a secure atmosphere for our gamers, which is why we ask everybody to chorus from utilizing third-party instruments. We additionally ask that gamers don’t share details about third-party instruments corresponding to particulars about their set up strategies, or take every other actions to help of their dissemination.
“The usage of third-party instruments is prohibited by the Final Fantasy 14 Person Settlement and their utilization may threaten the security of gamers. We are going to proceed to take a agency stance towards their utilization.”
Whereas the usage of third-party instruments is prohibited in Final Fantasy 14, the likes of Superior Fight Tracker is commonly utilized by the sport’s raiding neighborhood and cross-referenced utilizing web sites like FFlogs. Yoshida’s authorized menace, nevertheless, is a major step up in rhetoric.
The FF14 neighborhood responds
The Final Fantasy 14 neighborhood has responded to Yoshida’s assertion in damning style. One consumer said: “fixing the sport to interrupt the mod isn’t on the record of choices they’re contemplating I see.”
One other participant added: “or you can simply see how to not expose the knowledge on [the player’s] consumer facet. Ofc this implies further work which they didn’t plan for, however is Final Fantasy 14 actually on such a good schedule and finances they can not cope with this stuff correctly?”
“Type of a disappointing assertion that actually fails to acknowledge the basis reason for the issue,” another person said.
The writer of Playerscope has but to reply.
Picture by Olly Curtis/Future Publishing by way of Getty Pictures.
Wesley is the UK Information Editor for IGN. Discover him on Twitter at @wyp100. You possibly can attain Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.