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 a certain radius. This information was then relayed to a central database controlled by the mod's creator, revealing data typically inaccessible through in-game features. Critically, it exposed "Content ID" and "Account ID," allowing cross-character tracking, exploiting the Dawntrail expansion's Content ID system designed for account-wide blacklisting.

Opting out required joining the Playerscope Discord server. Essentially, any player outside this server was potentially having their data scraped, raising serious privacy concerns. Community reaction was swift and critical, with many labeling the mod's purpose as "stalking."

After its initial release on Github, Playerscope's popularity surged. Following terms of service violations, it was removed from Github and allegedly mirrored on alternative platforms (though IGN verified its absence from Gittea and Gitflic). However, it may still circulate within private communities.

While third-party tools are prohibited, tools like Advanced Combat Tracker are commonly used by the raiding community, often alongside websites like FFlogs. Yoshida's legal threat represents a significant escalation.

Community Reaction

The Final Fantasy XIV community's response to Yoshida's statement was largely negative. Players criticized the lack of proactive solutions, such as addressing the data exposure on the client-side. Others expressed disappointment, highlighting the statement's failure to address the root cause of the problem. The Playerscope author remains silent.