In early 2025, a Final Fantasy XIV mod ignited concerns about player stalking after reports surfaced that it harvested sensitive 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 creator. This occurred regardless of whether a specific player was targeted or if the user was simply in proximity to others. The mod accessed information typically unavailable through in-game tools.
Playerscope leveraged the "Content ID" and "Account ID" systems, introduced in the Dawntrail expansion, to track players across multiple characters. This exploited the system designed to allow players to blacklist others across their accounts and characters.
The only way to prevent data scraping was to join Playerscope's private Discord and opt out—meaning, theoretically, every Final Fantasy XIV player outside that Discord was having their data collected. This significant privacy breach prompted outrage, with one Reddit commenter stating the mod's "purpose is obvious, to stalk people."
Weeks ago, the mod's creator announced Playerscope's presence on Github, leading to a surge in popularity. Subsequently, due to Terms of Service violations, Playerscope was removed from Github, though it allegedly appeared on Gittea and Gitflic. IGN verified that no Playerscope repository exists on these alternative platforms; however, it could still circulate within private communities.
Yoshida stated that the development and operations teams were considering:
- Requesting removal and deletion of the tool.
- Pursuing legal action.
He reassured players that while concerns existed about potential exposure of personal Square Enix account information (address, payment details), this information was inaccessible via these third-party tools. He urged players to avoid using third-party tools, refrain from sharing installation details or assisting their dissemination, emphasizing that such use violates the Final Fantasy XIV User Agreement and jeopardizes player safety.
While tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community and cross-referenced with sites like FFlogs, Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation.
The FFXIV Community Responds
The community reacted critically to Yoshida's statement. One user commented on the lack of consideration for fixing the game to prevent the mod's functionality. Another criticized the lack of effort to prevent data exposure on the client-side, suggesting a lack of resources or planning. A further comment described the statement as disappointing for failing to address the root cause of the problem.
The Playerscope author has yet to respond publicly.
