Final Fantasy XIV’s Naoki Yoshida Speaks Out Against The Use Of Third-Party Addons

The quest to claim the title of World First for Final Fantasy XIV’s new Dragonsong’s Reprise (Ultimate) Trial has officially come to an end. The first successful clear, however, has added fuel to the fire of a very hot debate about the use of third-party addons which were reportedly in use during the run.

The issue has prompted Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida to pen a letter reminding players that the use of third-party addons is not only against the terms of service but also makes the unofficial race to claim the title unfair to all members of the community.

“As stated in the terms of service for FINAL FANTASY XIV: the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited. Players who are determined to be using third-party tools will have their accounts suspended, or permanently banned for repeat offenses.”

“It goes without saying that we're aware of world races for high-end duties. As the developers, we're proud to have grown into one of the few games where they're held, and it delights us to see so many players participate as well as spectate with great interest,” said Yoshida. “But 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,” he added. “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.”

To further discourage the use of third-party addons, Yoshida promised to enhance the HUD with functions offered by the most popular third-party tools. He admitted, however, that it will take some time before they can be deployed but they’re determined to make it happen.

More information can be found on the Final Fantasy XIV official site.