The chief of Final Fantasy XIV, Naoki Yoshida, once again spoke out in a blog post against the use of all kinds of third-party tools in his game. Players who openly use mods, hacks, or cheats can expect temporary or permanent bans. The first bans have already been issued. Particularly noteworthy: The best players in the MMORPG do not follow Yoshida’s rules.
The situation at a glance:
- The World-First race for the first kill of the new ultimate raid, Dragon War (fatal) recently concluded in FFXIV. This is the hardest PvE content in the MMORPG so far, with thousands of viewers following along on Twitch.
- Neverland, a mixed team of EU and US players, secured the victory. The race started on April 26 with the release of patch 6.11, and the first kill was reported on May 2.
- Normally, congratulations from chief Naoki Yoshida follow such victories. However, this time they were absent. During the race, the use of forbidden third-party tools was observed.
Instead, a post was published on the official page on May 9, in which Yoshida addresses the open use of third-party tools and once again asks players not to use them.
No praise, because third-party tools were used
This is what Yoshida says: In the customary very detailed comment, the chief of FFXIV first explains which types of software are prohibited according to the game’s user agreements. These include:
- “[…] Cheats, bots, automation software, hacks, mods, or other unauthorized software to change the game or gameplay […]”
Yoshida also explained that the investigation team will also become active in the following cases and take a closer look at players’ accounts:
- When using unauthorized software that makes dealing with certain game content easier.
- When using unauthorized software that modifies the HUD and/or user interface, thereby adding information that was not previously available.
- When using unauthorized software that
manipulates data packet information. - When spreading and urging the use of unauthorized software
In addition to the open use of the DPS meter ACT, which is widespread in the raiding scene, there were also automated callouts that announced mechanics, or UI elements that made invisible attacks visible.
In this example from a Discord server, AoE areas that are invisible in the actual fight can be seen. This allows the user to know exactly how far to run so that the meteors do not come too close together, leading to a wipe. It makes the game mechanics easier.
[…] We are pleased that we are among the few games where such raid competitions are even possible, and that so many players not only participate in the competitions but also enjoy watching their performance.
On the other hand, we wish that these competitions are fair, meaning they should take place without the use of unauthorized software. The developers, together with the balancing team, ensure that only content is released that can be completed solely with the officially implemented game features.
Director Yoshida
In the end, Yoshida explains that there were no public congratulations for the World-First winners this time to avoid inciting extreme competition. According to Yoshida, this leads among other things to the use of forbidden tools to gain advantages in combat.
This is what has happened since then: During the World-First race, there were instances of the use of such software, which was partly openly visible in streams. The investigation team responded accordingly and on May 9 issued several temporary bans against at least two streamers and one member of the World-First team. The players each received a 10-day timeout from FFXIV.
Additionally, one of the videos that the World-First team posted of their kill has been taken offline again. It is unclear whether it was taken down because third-party tools were openly used in it or due to the song Heavensward, which plays in the fight and is copyright material.
Users on reddit also noted that some well-known win traders have disappeared from the ranking list of the new competitive mode Crystalline Conflict. This includes the previous global top score leader who held the maximum score.
Win trading and cheating is a big problem in FFXIV’s PvP, which was also present in the old competitive mode FEAST.
Add-on features to be adopted – at least partially
This is what Yoshida also says: Regarding mods and add-ons that change the user interface of FFXIV, Yoshida noted that the team is looking at these tools. The use of their features indicates that there is a need for improvement and that players are missing certain conveniences, referred to as “Quality of Life” features.
[…] Therefore, we want to examine exactly what information that is on our side to consider it in our planning for the HUD and the user interface. Ultimately, we want to provide all players with the best possible gaming experience, even without the use of these tools. Implementation will certainly take some time and must of course also be realized for those playing on PlayStation 4/5.
Director Yoshida
However, it was not clear in the blog post which specific functions are meant. In the past, it has often happened that features from add-ons, such as the exact % display of opponent HP or buff and debuff timers, were implemented into the game.
