Final Fantasy 14 Director Yoshi-P Threatens Legal Action Against 'Stalking' Mod

In early 2025, a Final Fantasy XIV mod ignited concerns about player stalking after reports surfaced detailing its ability to harvest sensitive player data. This included character information, retainer details, linked alternate characters on Square Enix accounts, and more.

The mod, "Playerscope," tracked player data within a user's vicinity, transmitting this information to a central database controlled by the mod's creator. This exposed data typically inaccessible through in-game tools. Specifically, it revealed "Content ID" and "Account ID," allowing cross-character tracking, exploiting the Dawntrail expansion's Content ID system intended for account-wide blacklisting.

Opting out required joining the Playerscope Discord server, implying widespread data scraping for those outside this community. This significant privacy breach prompted widespread community outrage, with Reddit users labeling the mod's purpose as "to stalk people."

Initially hosted on GitHub, the mod's popularity exploded after its discovery. Subsequently removed from GitHub due to Terms of Service violations, alleged mirrors on Gittea and Gitflic were verified by IGN as inactive. However, the possibility of private community distribution remains.

Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, Final Fantasy XIV's producer and director, addressed the situation on the game's official forums, directly referencing Playerscope. His statement acknowledged the existence of third-party tools exposing non-public character information, including internal account IDs used to link multiple characters on the same service account.

Yoshida outlined potential responses: demanding removal and deletion of the tool and pursuing legal action. He reassured players that the tool couldn't access sensitive account information like addresses and payment details. He reiterated the prohibition of third-party tools under the game's User Agreement, emphasizing the potential safety risks and urging players not to assist in their distribution.

While tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community alongside sites like FFlogs, Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation.

Community Reaction:

The community's response to Yoshida's statement was largely critical. Players criticized the lack of consideration for addressing the underlying vulnerability that allowed the mod to function, suggesting that fixing the game's data exposure would be a more effective solution than legal threats alone. The Playerscope author has yet to comment.