Yoshi-P Threatens Legal Action Over 'Stalking' Mod in Final Fantasy 14

In early 2025, a Final Fantasy 14 mod called "Playerscope" raised significant privacy concerns due to its ability to scrape hidden player data. This mod could access details such as character information, retainer information, and any alternate characters linked to a Square Enix account. Playerscope allows users to track specific data of players within their vicinity, sending this information to a centralized database managed by the mod's author. This tracking occurs regardless of whether a user is specifically targeting another player or simply near them, and it includes data that is typically inaccessible through in-game tools.

The mod exploits the "Content ID" and "Account ID" systems, introduced in the Dawntrail expansion, to track players across different characters. This manipulation allows for blacklisting across service accounts and multiple characters. The only way to prevent data scraping by Playerscope is to join its private Discord channel and opt out, meaning every player not in this channel is potentially having their data collected, posing a major privacy risk. Community reactions on platforms like Reddit have been vocal, with users expressing fears of stalking.

The mod's popularity surged after it was found on Github, leading to its removal due to terms of service violations. Although it was allegedly mirrored on Gittea and Gitflic, IGN confirmed that Playerscope repositories no longer exist on these platforms. However, it might still be circulating within private communities.

Final Fantasy 14's producer and director, Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, addressed the issue on the game's official forum. He confirmed the existence of third-party tools that access hidden character information and are used to correlate data across different characters on the same service account. Yoshida stated that the development and operations teams are considering requesting the removal and deletion of the tool, as well as pursuing legal action. He reassured players that personal information like addresses and payment details cannot be accessed by these tools. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a safe environment and urged players to refrain from using or promoting third-party tools, which are prohibited by the game's user agreement.

Despite the ban on third-party tools, tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community and referenced on sites like FFlogs. Yoshida's threat of legal action marks a significant escalation in the game's stance against such mods.

The Final Fantasy 14 community has responded critically to Yoshida's statement. Some users criticized the lack of plans to fix the game's vulnerabilities that allow such mods to function. Others suggested that the game's developers should focus on preventing data exposure at the client side, acknowledging that this might require additional resources. The general sentiment is that the statement fails to address the root cause of the problem. The author of Playerscope has not yet responded to these developments.