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

In early 2025, a Final Fantasy 14 mod named "Playerscope" sparked widespread concern and fears of "stalking" due to its ability to scrape hidden player data. This data includes character details, retainer information, and any alternate characters linked to a Square Enix account, among other sensitive information.

Playerscope enables users to track specific player data of anyone in their vicinity, sending this information to a centralized database managed by the mod's author. This tracking occurs regardless of whether the user is actively observing a particular player or simply near other players. The mod accesses data that is typically not visible through in-game tools, including "Content ID" and "Account ID," which can be used to monitor players across different characters. This was achieved by exploiting the Content ID system introduced in the Dawntrail expansion, which allows players to blacklist others across their service account and multiple characters.

To avoid having their account data scraped, players must join the private Discord channel for Playerscope and opt out. This means that every Final Fantasy 14 player not in the Discord channel is at risk of having their data collected, raising significant privacy concerns. The community has reacted strongly, with one Reddit user stating, "the purpose is obvious, to stalk people."

Several weeks ago, the mod's author announced on Discord that Playerscope was available on Github, leading to a surge in its popularity. However, due to violations of terms of service, the mod was removed from Github. It was later mirrored on similar sites like Gittea and Gitflic, but IGN confirmed that the Playerscope repository no longer exists on these platforms. There is a possibility that the mod is still being shared within private communities.

In response to the situation, Final Fantasy 14 producer and director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida issued a statement on the game's official forum. He acknowledged the existence of third-party tools, such as Playerscope, that access character information not normally visible during gameplay. Yoshida assured players that personal information like addresses and payment details cannot be accessed by these tools. He emphasized the commitment to maintaining a safe environment for players and reiterated the prohibition of third-party tools under the Final Fantasy 14 User Agreement, hinting at potential legal action against their usage.

The Final Fantasy 14 community has responded critically to Yoshida's statement. Some players expressed disappointment, feeling that the statement did not address the root cause of the issue. One user suggested that the game should be updated to prevent the mod from accessing sensitive data, while another questioned the game's budget and scheduling constraints in dealing with such issues.

The author of Playerscope has not yet responded to the controversy.