In early 2025, a Final Fantasy XIV mod ignited concerns about player stalking after reports surfaced that it could scrape sensitive player data. This 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 exploited the "Content ID" and "Account ID" systems, introduced in the Dawntrail expansion, to track players across multiple characters. This leveraged the blacklist feature intended to allow players to block others across their service account and characters. The only way to prevent data scraping was to join the Playerscope Discord and opt out—meaning, theoretically, every Final Fantasy XIV player outside that Discord was potentially affected. This significant privacy breach prompted strong community backlash, with many calling out the mod's obvious purpose: stalking.
Weeks ago, the mod author revealed Playerscope's presence on GitHub, leading to a surge in popularity. Subsequently, due to terms of service violations, it was removed from GitHub, though alleged mirrors appeared on Gittea and Gitflic. IGN confirmed the absence of a Playerscope repository on these alternative platforms, 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, directly referencing Playerscope. His statement acknowledged the existence of third-party tools accessing normally hidden character information, including parts of a character's internal account ID used to link other characters on the same service account. Yoshida stated that the development and operations teams were considering requesting the tool's removal and pursuing legal action. He reassured players that account information like addresses and payment details couldn't be accessed via these tools. Yoshida reiterated the prohibition of third-party tools in the Final Fantasy XIV User Agreement and urged players to avoid using them or sharing information about their use.
While tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community and integrated with sites like FFlogs, Yoshida's legal threat marked a significant escalation.
The FFXIV Community Responds
The community reacted critically to Yoshida's statement. Many criticized the lack of focus on addressing the underlying vulnerability allowing the mod to function, suggesting that fixing the game's client-side data exposure would be a more effective solution. The Playerscope author has yet to respond publicly.
