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 managed by the mod's author. This occurred regardless of whether a specific player was targeted or if the user was simply near other players. Playerscope provided access to "Content ID" and "Account ID," enabling cross-character tracking, exploiting the Content ID system introduced in the Dawntrail expansion. The only way to prevent data scraping was to join Playerscope's private Discord and opt out—meaning, theoretically, every player outside that Discord was affected. This significant privacy breach sparked outrage, with community members describing the mod's purpose as "to stalk people."

Weeks ago, the mod author revealed 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 reportedly appeared on alternative platforms like Gittea and Gitflic. IGN verified its absence from these alternatives, but the mod might still circulate privately.

Final Fantasy XIV producer and director Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida addressed the situation on the game's official forum, stating that third-party tools, referencing Playerscope, accessed internal account IDs to correlate information across characters on the same service account. Yoshida's statement outlined potential responses: requesting removal and deletion of the tool, and pursuing legal action. While assuring players that account details like addresses and payment information were inaccessible via these tools, he emphasized the importance of a safe environment, urging players to avoid third-party tools and refrain from sharing information about them. He reiterated that their use violates the Final Fantasy XIV User Agreement and could jeopardize player safety.

While third-party tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used, particularly within the raiding community, and cross-referenced with sites like FFlogs, Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation.

The FF14 Community Responds

The community's response to Yoshida's statement was largely critical. Players questioned the lack of options focusing on fixing the game's vulnerabilities to prevent such mods, suggesting alternative solutions like client-side information protection. Many criticized the statement for failing to address the root cause of the problem. The Playerscope author has yet to comment.