If you’re an avid player of World of Warcraft, you might be used to the cornucopia of add-ons available for that game. WoW players who shift over to Final Fantasy XIV however, are in for a rude awakening. Square Enix has a completely different take on the use of add-ons, mods, or third-party tools.
Can you use add-ons, mods, or third-party tools in Final Fantasy XIV? No. Can’t you really not use add-ons in FFXIV? Well sort of, but mostly no. The FFXIV team frowns heavily upon the use of add-ons, mods, or third-party tools in the game.
“As I have mentioned previously, the terms of service for Final Fantasy XIV state that the use of third-party tools is strictly prohibited. This has always been the case and will continue to be so, and unless announced otherwise, there are no plans to enact any changes.” said Yoshida in a recent post on the official Lodestone blog.
“I have come across posts from individuals that say things along the lines of, ‘Yoshida allows the use of third-party tools, so it’s fine to use them.’ However, let me make it clear that I have never permitted the use of these tools. You may find information below from past posts and livestreams which outline my stance and policies surrounding third-party tools,” he added.
Yoshida has said as much repeatedly: Third-party tools or add-ons are prohibited in Final Fantasy XIV. Don’t do it! And if you do decide to do it, it’s imperative that you don’t do it on a livestream or video.
There are players that use other add-ons like Anamnesis, XIVLauncher, or Teamcraft for alternate purposes like testing out glamour, taking screenshots, or managing their inventory. Given that these add-ons or tools don’t really impart any gameplay benefit, you might believe that it’s okay. That said, they are still technically prohibited, so be careful of using them. Keep yourself safe.
The FFXIV has said that they can ban or suspend those using add-ons, mods, or third-party tools. Those cases have generally been related to World First races or hacks, but that doesn’t Square Enix can’t decide to enforce the rules more stringently in the future. “As the individual who is entrusted with full supervision over FFXIV, it is my responsibility to enact countermeasures and police the use of these tools, as well as educate people to not use these types of third-party tools—this is especially unfortunate when I, as a gamer, am cheering on everyone who is learning this content by trial and error and putting in the effort to clear,” said Yoshida. Keep yourself on the straight and narrow.
