Final Fantasy 14's community is once again in a tizzy about the use of mods in game, to the point where the game's producer and director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), has weighed in.
First, some background. While modding is an extremely common practice across many games, including other MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy 14 has always had a slightly more hostile relationship with them. That's not to say players don't use mods in FF14 – they absolutely do. But officially, they're not allowed. Even so, Square Enix has largely operated for a long time on a policy of letting mods slide…as long as players aren't too loud or obvious about it. So players might use mods to customize their UIs, or change the way their character looks just on their own screen. As long as they aren't interfering with other people's games or, say, being very public about their mod use, the publisher has mostly turned a blind eye.
But that strategy hasn't always worked out for Square Enix, especially due to the lack of real clarity for players as to what Square Enix will be permissive about, versus what it will immediately ban. And recently, mods have been in the crosshairs of the developer once again. Earlier this year, Yoshi-P himself threatened legal action after a mod went around that could track other people's player data – a mod that's pretty obviously not permitted by any standards. But more recently, a different, less obviously problematic mod has entered the discourse: Mare Synchronos.
Mare Synchronos is a mod that's become popular with Final Fantasy 14 players over the years, especially for role-playing communities. Essentially, it lets those who use it "synchronize" their character appearances with those of other players. Here's an example. If I'm playing FF14 and don't have a lot of cool gear to dress my character up in, and don't want to run the content needed to acquire it for whatever reason, I can use a mod that will let my character appear exactly how I want them to – but only on my screen. However, with Mare Synchronos, everyone else using Mare Synchronos can also see that modded appearance. Players who do not use the mod will see my character in whatever bland gear I'm actually wearing. And critically, Mare doesn't actually let you change your character's appearance – other mods are needed for that. Mare just lets you see other mods, and be seen.
However, a week ago, Mare Synchronos announced it was shutting down. The cited reason was that it had received a "legal inquiry" surrounding the project, and after reviewing options, the creator decided to wind it down. It officially went dark last Friday. While some fans were unphased by the shutdown, or even claimed they'd expected it eventually, many others were deeply upset. Though Mare's developer hadn't specified who the legal inquiry was from, many speculating it was likely Square Enix, and even took to the FF14 official forums to complain about the third-party mod shutting down. It's even getting review bombed on Steam right now, currently sitting at "Mixed" recent reviews versus "Very Positive" total reviews.
Which is what has prompted Yoshi-P to speak up. In a lengthy post on the official Final Fantasy 14 website, the producer reiterated his past-stated stance on mods: he tolerates them. That stance, he says, hasn't changed. Mods made entirely for one's own personal use that only impact the individual using them, Yoshi-P explains, are fine with him. "I'd like to stress the importance that players follow two rules: that their style of gameplay does not infringe upon others, and that they do not negatively impact the core game, its services, or intended game design, as mentioned above."
Yoshi-P goes on to detail exactly what he means by "negative impacting the intended game design" and "infringing upon others." He offers an example of a player, Player A, who loves to raid and acquires a new title and weapon by successfully finishing an Ultimate raid. Player B does not have time to raid, and uses a mod that allows them to see their character with the same title and weapon as Player A. As long as that only displays on Player B's screen, that's not a problem for Yoshi-P.
However, where Yoshi-P takes issue is when this begins to impact others. If Player B's changes are visible to Player A somehow, "it considerably negates the cooperation, time, and effort invested, not to mention the pride they might have felt in their achievement."
He goes on to illustrate another example that is unacceptable: a mod that allows players to freely equip optional items purchased from the FF14 Online Store and display them to others:
"Some may say that Square Enix is to blame for trying to make money by demanding that players spend extra on optional items," he writes. "We operate our servers and data centers twenty-four hours a day, three-hundred-sixty-five days a year with the hope that our players can enjoy a reliable gaming experience. Currently, global inflation is taking its toll at a rapid pace, driving up server electricity costs, the cost of land, and even the price of servers themselves. We do not want to increase subscription fees for players, if at all possible─but keeping our game running requires sufficient income. If we start creating a deficit, FFXIV may no longer be able to operate. This is an example of damage dealt to the services we provide."
In a third example, Yoshi-P mentions the possibility of a mod that displays a character completely naked. Even if this is only displayed on the player's screen, he explains how it could potentially still be harmful. For instance, if a player posts a screenshot of their naked character on social media, FF14 may face legal consequences.
"Laws that regulate the content of video games grow stricter by the year," he says. "These laws are there to protect minors and for a variety of other reasons, but the fact remains that they are tangibly becoming stricter. We have a duty to provide our services in adherence to the laws of all countries where FFXIV is available, and if we are unable to do so, the distribution of our game can be prohibited. This is another example of damage dealt to our services."
Yoshi-P ends his post by saying he intends to listen to player feedback and try to increase the freedom of players to equip different types of gear. "While paying respect to the long-standing tradition of modding PC games, I ask that all players in turn respect our game by enjoying their fun within the confines of some basic rules," he concludes.
While this post contains some much-needed clarification, it ultimately does leave Final Fantasy 14 in the same odd limbo state it's always been in: no mods allowed, except it's fine if no one ever knows you're using them. While that will likely be sufficient clarification for many players, it's still a potentially frustrating place for players who have built their gameplay styles around the modding community and what it has to offer. At least over on console, no one has anything to worry about.
Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. You can find her posting on BlueSky @duckvalentine.bsky.social. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.