Square Enix has terminated the accounts of almost 6000 Final Fantasy 14 players following an investigation into real money trading.
In an investigation spanning February 25 to March 3, 2021, Square's probe "confirmed the existence of players who are engaging in these illicit activities", resulting in a ban of 5851 accounts; 5037 for participation in real money trading/prohibited activities, and another 814 for "advertising real money trading".
Square Enix says: "real money trading (RMT) and other illicit activities upset the balance of the game and, as such, are prohibited under the Terms of Service".
"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."
The publisher said it will "continue to take stringent disciplinary action against any accounts with confirmed involvement in RMT/illicit activity".
ICYMI, an upgraded version of Final Fantasy 14 is coming to PS5 consoles, with an open beta test starting in April.
The Endwalker expansion and the PS5 version were revealed during a recent Final Fantasy 14 announcement stream, which detailed a number of the upcoming expansion's key features.
Explaining the expansion, Square-Enix said: "Endwalker features the climax of the Hydaelyn and Zodiark story, in which Warriors of Light will encounter an even greater calamity than ever before as they travel to the far reaches of Hydaelyn and even to the moon. Endwalker will mark a new beginning for the beloved MMO, setting the stage for new adventures that longtime fans and new players can enjoy together".
Further details on how to participate and sign up for the open beta test will be announced at a later date.
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