Final Fantasy 14 communities have recently been buzzing with concern due to a newly popular mod called PlayerScope. This mod has surfaced vulnerabilities in Square Enix’s blacklist feature, intended to combat player stalking but now ironically enabling it.

The situation arises from the way this mod functions. PlayerScope allows users to scrape account IDs and upload this information to a server, enabling anyone using this plugin to see every character associated with that account. This shift from character-wide to account-wide tracking coincided with the Dawntrail update and the adjustments to the blacklist functionality.

Previously, mods in Final Fantasy 14 were technically against the terms of service, yet many players utilized them under a less stringent oversight. This convenience has prompted a robust modding community, leading to various functionalities that can enhance gameplay, aesthetic adjustments, and quality of life.

Why are people worried?

The rising fears among players focus primarily on the ability of intruding mods to track alternate character IDs. A community engagement platform reported that PlayerScope allows a plugin to track users more effectively than intended, leading many to scramble for solutions to protect their character identities.

In response to the backlash, the author behind PlayerScope has indicated they will offer users the ability to opt-out of visibility settings, stating that not requiring the plugin’s installation for privacy alleviates some pressure, yet the inherent risks still loom.

This scenario highlights an ongoing ethical debate within the gaming community concerning what constitutes safe and acceptable behavior for mods in online spaces. Many players echo sentiments that better security measures should have been established by Square Enix to protect user identities and prevent misuse of such tracking tools.