In early 2025, a Final Fantasy XIV mod ignited concerns about player stalking after reports surfaced that it harvested hidden player data. This data included character details, retainer information, linked alternate characters, and more.
The mod, "Playerscope," tracked players' data, sending it to a central database controlled by the mod's author. This happened regardless of whether a specific player was targeted or if the user simply happened to be near others. The mod accessed information typically unavailable through in-game tools.
Playerscope exploited the "Content ID" and "Account ID" systems, introduced in the Dawntrail expansion, to track players across multiple characters. This system, intended for player blacklisting, was manipulated to reveal sensitive information.
The only way to prevent data scraping was to join the Playerscope Discord and opt out—meaning, theoretically, every player outside this Discord server was affected. This significant privacy breach prompted outrage, with one Reddit commenter stating the mod's "purpose is obvious, to stalk people."
Weeks ago, the mod author revealed the plugin's presence on GitHub, leading to a surge in popularity. Subsequently, Playerscope was removed from GitHub due to terms of service violations, though it allegedly appeared on Gittea and Gitflic. IGN verified its absence from these alternative platforms, but the mod may still circulate within private communities.
Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida addressed the situation on the game's official forum, referencing Playerscope directly. His statement acknowledged the existence of third-party tools revealing normally hidden character information, including internal account IDs used to link other characters on the same service account. Yoshida stated that the development and operations teams are considering:
- Requesting the tool's removal and deletion.
- Pursuing legal action.
Yoshida reassured players that while concerns arose about the potential exposure of personal information like addresses and payment details, such data was inaccessible through these tools. He urged players to avoid using third-party tools, refrain from sharing information about them, and emphasized that their use violates the Final Fantasy XIV User Agreement and jeopardizes player safety. The company maintains a firm stance against their use.
While tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community and integrated with sites like FFlogs, Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation in response.
The FF14 Community Responds
The community's response to Yoshida's statement was largely critical. One user commented on the lack of consideration for fixing the game's vulnerabilities to prevent future mods, while another questioned why Square Enix couldn't address the root cause of the data exposure on the client side. Several others expressed disappointment with the statement's failure to address the core problem.
The author of Playerscope has yet to publicly respond.
