FFXIV dev Yoshi-P addresses third-party tools controversy after Race to World First

In the wake of Final Fantasy XIV’s Dragonsong’s Reprise Race to World First, FFXIV Producer & Director, Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida has expressed disappointment over the use of third-party tools, and promises future crackdowns.

As Race to World First events continue to grow in popularity across various MMORPGs, Final Fantasy XIV’s Dragonsong’s Reprise event pulled record numbers.

With relative newcomers Neverland swooping in out of the blue and snatching the crown from veteran squad Thoughts per Second (TPS), discussion has ignited over the use of third-party tools. While many were quick to congratulate the squad on their win, others argue they broke the game’s terms of service.

Shutting down this debate is FFXIV Producer and Director, Yoshi-P, who addressed the issue in a scathing May 9 blog.

Yoshi-P confirms FFXIV “prohibits” use of third-party tools

While Yoshi-P urges players to read the announcement in its entirety, the fact of the matter is that “the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited” as per the game’s terms of service. Those caught using these exploits will receive suspensions or a permanent ban.

Listed among the punishable actions are “use of tools that allow players to more easily complete content, modification of the UI to display additional information, use of packet spoofing tools,” and “any actions or public statements that promote use of third-party tools.”

• Read More: World First winners explain how FFXIV raids are more “accessible” than WoW

Turning his attention to the recent Race to World First, he comments “a race should be fair, and it’s our earnest wish that participants don’t use third-party tools. Indeed, we’ve only released duties that we have proven can be beaten with the game’s standard features.

“Because such races are unofficial, we usually limit our involvement to some comments after a number of teams have cleared the duty. By offering our congratulations via the official Twitter account and confirming time stamps, we want to recognize your achievements and contribute to community excitement. However, if our recognition encourages excessive competition and controversy to the extent that players resort to third-party tools, I regret to say we may have to reconsider making comments in the future.”

Yoshi-P concluded with a somber message. “I would like to encourage the development of a strong FFXIV community by continuing to provide commentary as I have today. Truly, I cannot apologize enough for the many mistakes we made in 6.1, and the resulting disappointment in such a major patch.” So, it’s crystal clear how the devs feel about third-party tools.

As the game continues to progress we’ll likely see more scrutiny on player exploits, especially during high-tier Duties and future races.