"We sincerely apologize": Final Fantasy 14 news blog goes down as Square Enix takes action against its admin for allegedly defamatory content against the MMO's devs

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail launch trailer screenshot showing the Warrior of Light, a man with tied-back brown hair and a sword, standing against a blue backdrop with clouds — (Image credit: Square Enix)

A fan-run Final Fantasy 14 news blog has gone down as Square Enix takes action as a result of allegedly harmful content aimed toward the MMO's developers.

Square Enix announces the situation in a new open letter to the community (as translated by Automaton, Google, and DeepL), first writing that the company does value feedback from customers and uses it to enhance its products and services – but its priority is maintaining a safe and secure workplace environment where its developers can carry on without fear of harassment from the public.

That's where this Final Fantasy 14 news blog comes in.

According to Square Enix, the studio recently filed a request for disclosure of the Netoge Sokuho (formerly "FF14 Sokuho") blog's administrator, after what it says was the publication of an article containing harmful content that undermined the social reputation of the MMO's devs.

In turn, the company hosting Netoge Sokuho provided the unnamed admin's personal information, identifying them to Square Enix.

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Following discussions between the admin and Square Enix, both parties reached a settlement: the closure of Netoge Sokuho and the payment of an unspecified amount to the Final Fantasy 14 studio.

Moving forward, Square Enix says it'll continue to take strict measures – which include legal action, if need be – to protect its employees' safety and mental health. As for the former Netoge Sokuho admin, Square Enix links to their apology.

In it, they explain that the blog is coming to a close, concluding, "The publication of the article(s) in question was not intended to infringe upon the rights or reputation of any specific organization or individuals involved. However, we sincerely apologize for any concerns that may have arisen as a result."

Neither party provides any specific information about what was posted or taken down prior to Netoge Sokuho's shutdown.

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After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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