Thousands of FFXIV accounts were wiped from the game after they violated RMT rules, a major policy against in-game transactions.
More than 10,000 FFXIV players got their accounts terminated after being caught engaging in “Real Money Trading” (or “RMT”).
Square Enix defines RMT as “the sale of in-game items, currency, characters or other data in order to obtain real money.” And knowing the MMORPG’s strict guidelines, it’s no surprise that punishment for the FFXIV RMT violation would be harsh.
Real money trading is a serious threat to the economical balance of FFXIV, an MMO that offers a hundred different ways to play. Including an entire marketboard that comes with its own in-game economy.
Notices : EU: Actions Taken Against In-Game RMT & Other Illicit Activities (Feb. 29) https://t.co/Wqv8IxngGQ #FFXIV
— FINAL FANTASY XIV News (@FFXIV_NEWS_EN) February 29, 2024
Square Enix Terminates 10,000 FFXIV Accounts Due to RMT
On the eve of FFXIV’s highly-anticipated Final Fantasy 15 collaboration event, the developers issued a statement on the game’s official forum about the latest wave of player bans.
According to the update, exactly 3,640 accounts were terminated after being caught engaging in FFXIV RMT, while 7,175 players were removed for merely advertising the policy violation. This racks up to 10,815 accounts being banned after just under a week.
The notice itself appears to be a strategic warning, as the new Final Fantasy 15 crossover event offers plenty of exclusive prizes that would be tempting to get through less-savory means. Exotic pets, cosmetics and a 4-seater car mount are just some of the rewards we haven’t seen since 2019. And it’s got a lot of people excited.
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The severity of recent FFXIV RMT cases further urged the GMs of Final Fantasy XIV to make revisions to the rules of the game. FFXIV’s Terms of Service was updated to now include the botting done by RMT vendors in the anti-RMT ruleset. An understandable inclusion, if not a bit overdue.
The notice on the official lodestone website continued to give instructions on how to report FFXIV RMT activities, referring to the report feature found in the System Menu.
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