In early 2025, a Final Fantasy XIV mod ignited concerns about player stalking due to reports of its ability to harvest sensitive player data. This included character details, retainer information, linked alternate characters, and more.

The mod, "Playerscope," tracked players' data within its vicinity, transmitting it to a central database controlled by the mod's creator. This exposed information typically inaccessible through in-game tools, such as "Content ID" and "Account ID," allowing cross-character tracking. This exploited the Content ID system from the Dawntrail expansion, originally intended for account-wide blacklisting.

Opting out required joining the Playerscope Discord; otherwise, data scraping was presumed to be ongoing for all non-Discord members. This significant privacy breach prompted strong community backlash, with many citing the mod's clear intention to facilitate stalking.

Following its discovery on Github and subsequent surge in popularity, Playerscope was removed due to Terms of Service violations. While reportedly mirrored on Gittea and Gitflic, IGN confirmed its absence from both. However, the mod might still circulate privately.

Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV, addressed the situation on the game's official forum, explicitly referencing Playerscope. He acknowledged the existence of third-party tools accessing non-public character information, including internal account IDs used to link multiple characters on a single service account.

Yoshida stated that the development team is considering requesting removal and deletion of the tool, and pursuing legal action. He reassured players that account details like addresses and payment information were inaccessible through these tools. He urged players to avoid using third-party tools and to refrain from sharing information about them.

While third-party tools like Advanced Combat Tracker (commonly used by raiders and linked with FFlogs) are prevalent, Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation.

Community Response:

The community's reaction to Yoshida's statement was largely critical. Players questioned why the developers weren't focusing on fixing the game's vulnerabilities to prevent such mods, instead of solely pursuing legal action. Many felt the statement failed to address the root cause of the problem. The Playerscope author has yet to comment.