Final Fantasy 14’s Omega Protocol (Ultimate) raid was added to the game in January, and like with all ultimate raids, players were quick to try and be the first to complete it. Many tried, but ultimately a team called “Unnamed_” from Japan secured the World First clear.
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Players scrutinized screenshots and video shared from the raid and noticed that third-party tools were seemingly being used by at least one member of the group. The tool in question allowed the player to zoom out further than intended, giving them an advantage players wouldn’t ordinarily have. This drew the attention of the developer and Yoshi-P himself, who was quick to express disappointment and discouragement of the use of third-party tools. Now, the raid team has had their rewards stripped from them and the World First clear has been invalidated.
A member of the team, Haruka Setsuna, took to Twitter to apologize for the incident, although they were not the person who was actively using the cheat. A screenshot they shared indicates that a GM spoke to them directly, notifying them that their titles and achievements would be revoked, and that they were to discard the weapon they had received from completing the raid. Since Haruka Setsuna wasn’t the one using the hack, they didn’t receive an official warning, but as everyone in the raid party benefited from the cheat, all members will have their rewards taken away. Previously, Yoshi-P expressed that those using cheats might be temporarily or even permanently banned from the game.
It’s unfortunate that players used these cheats to gain an advantage, both for fellow players and the development team. While another team will presumably be awarded as the World First clear, many players struggle honestly to get through these fights, and it can be extremely frustrating to discover someone else is playing with major advantages. It’s also discouraging for the development team. Any unwitting team members of Unnamed_ are likely also unhappy, as they’ve lost the fruits of their labor due to another player’s meddling.
Sadly, the reality is that cheating happens in almost all online games, and staying on top of it can be difficult. For now, the developers will be keeping a close eye on any other participants in the raid. With any luck, any other players who think they can get an illicit advantage in Final Fantasy 14 will be caught.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
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Source: Siliconera
