Square Enix bans almost 6000 players for real-money trading in Final Fantasy 14
"Players should take care to steer clear of any activity that violates the Terms of Service."
Square Enix has banned over 5000 players for what it deems as "illegal activities" in Final Fantasy 14.
In an update to the official website, the publisher reminded players that "real money trading (RMT) and other illicit activities upset the balance of the game and, as such, are prohibited under the Terms of Service".
Having reportedly "confirmed the existence of players who are engaging in these illicit activities", Square Enix has now terminated 5037 accounts for participation in real money trading and prohibited activities, and another 814 for advertising real money trading.
The bans took place between 25th February and 3rd March 2021.
"Players who discover any confirmed cheats should, under no circumstances, exploit or disseminate such information," the statement says (thanks, PCGN). "Instead, we ask that players file a report by using the in-game command [System Menu] -> [Support Desk] -> [Contact Us] -> [Report Cheating].
"In addition, any witnessed RMT advertisement can be reported by right-clicking the character name in the chat log and selecting the menu [Report] -> [Report RMT Activity]. The report will be processed automatically, and if determined to fall under RMT advertising, the reported character's comments will be restricted."
Square promises it will "continue to take stringent disciplinary action against any accounts with confirmed involvement in RMT/illicit activity" and advised players to "steer clear of any activity" it believes violates the ToS.
Square Enix recently announced Endwalker, the next expansion for MMO Final Fantasy 14. It's due out autumn 2021 for PC, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Mac.