Final Fantasy XIV’s controversial “stalker plugin” is taken offline after cease-and-desist threat as fans rejoice

Third-party add-ons may or may not assist you in playing ‘Final Fantasy XIV’, according to Square Enix’s viewpoint, but some of these add-ons, such as PlayerScope, could potentially cause issues within the gaming community. The controversial “stalker plugin” (due to its actions) has now been discontinued, as confirmed by a message from the developer on Discord.

This news should bring relief to those who prefer to keep their data private, as it appears Square Enix’s legal action has succeeded. The specifics of what changes were made in the cease-and-desist letter are uncertain, but it managed to halt the plugin. At present, the plugin has been definitively shut down, and any remaining versions are likely unauthorized copies that could potentially be harmful.

The PlayerScope plugin has always been a major worry for Final Fantasy XIV players

PlayerScope enabled users to trace individuals via their Final Fantasy XIV character names, thereby exposing comprehensive account details such as additional characters tied to the same account. Remarkably, this data was housed within PlayerScope’s servers without any clarity on its usage or storage methods.

Playerscope (stalker plugin) ceases development due to a cease-and-desist (image from their Discord)
byu/Registeredfor inffxiv


On June 19th, Reddit user u/Registeredfor posted a screenshot of a Discord server announcement. This announcement stated that PlayerScope’s development and services were being discontinued. The backend has since been shut down, all data permanently erased, and all related files removed from platforms like GitFlic and GitHub. Furthermore, the developer confirmed that this marks the end of any future support and development for the project on their part.

It’s common knowledge by now that Square Enix generally disfavors using third-party plugins, and the characteristics of PlayerScope exacerbate this issue. In early February, Square Enix declared their intention to modify the way they block specific characters.

As a fervent supporter, I eagerly hope that with the de-listing of the once contentious plugin, no illicit activities such as unauthorized exploitation or selling of user data to third parties have occurred.

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2025-06-20 19:16