Final Fantasy 14 has been dealing with a significant technical vulnerability for months, primarily caused by a modification to the game’s blacklist system. This change allowed a modding tool to track players and their alternate characters, ironically increasing the risk of stalking rather than mitigating it.

The mod in question, named PlayerScope, collected account IDs that could be exploited. Despite Square Enix’s attempts to address this issue, the underlying problem remained unresolved.

In a recent announcement, the creator of PlayerScope, referred to as Generall, declared its permanent shutdown following a cease and desist order. Generall stated:

“Due to a formal cease and desist notice I received, I’ve made the decision to permanently shut down the PlayerScope project and all of its supporting infrastructure.”
Translation: A cease and desist order has forced the shutdown of the PlayerScope mod.

He confirmed that all backend services and data have been deleted, ensuring that there will be no further distribution of the plugin.

However, the threat does not just vanish with the removal of PlayerScope. Concerns remain that malicious parties could still discover and exploit similar vulnerabilities. Square Enix must take further action to ensure player safety, as merely issuing cease and desist letters will not suffice.

As the online gaming landscape evolves, it is crucial for developers to remain vigilant and proactive against threats that could compromise player privacy and safety.