Final Fantasy XIV‘s community is no stranger to mod crackdowns, but the shutdown of popular cosmetic mod Mare Sychronos has seen the main game’s rating on Steam drop down to “Mixed” and Dawntrail‘s drop to “Mostly Negative.” FFXIV‘s mod policy strictly prohibits the use of third-party software, but has generally operated in a “If we don’t see it, it isn’t happening” manner, allowing modders and players to play how they please. However, Mare Synchronos caught too much attention, and its creator has now been threatened with legal action.
Final Fantasy 14 Mod Mare Synchronos Explained
For those not in the know, Mare Synchronos is a cosmetic mod that allows players to mirror the cosmetic appearance of another player in real-time. If the mirrored player changes their outfit, the mirroring player’s outfit changes as well. This function uses peer-to-peer data transfer, moving cosmetic files from one player’s PC to the other’s.
Alongside the main mod, Mare Synchronos uses two other plugins to function: Penumbra and Glamourer. Penumbra is the main mod loader, which allows the loading and unloading of mods to the game, and Glamourer facilitates the manipulation of player appearance data. While neither of these things seem bothersome on its own, Square Enix has come down hard on the mod’s creator, proving that there’s more of an issue than it seems on first glance.
Why Square Enix is Having the FF14 Mod Shut Down
The core of the issue here is that third-party software is against FFXIV’s EULA. No mods are allowed to be used in the game, and anyone caught using them is at risk of being banned or having their account shut down. That being said, many mods aren’t worth the company’s time to shut down, as they offer no real threat to the system and quite frankly, take a lot of effort to do. Most mods aren’t as talked-about, but Mare Synchronos is one of the most visible of them.
As of yet, not much is known officially about the state of the mod. In its official Discord server, the creator, Her Royal Floofness, posted on August 21st, saying, “With a heavy heart, I have to announce the end of Mare Synchronos as you know it. I’ve received a legal inquiry concerning the project. After reviewing my options with counsel, I’m winding it down.” It’s likely that they were reached by Square Enix’s legal team and don’t have the funding to go to battle in court with one of the largest companies in the video game industry.
While no official statement from Square Enix has been made, there are a few reasons why they might be targeting Mare Synchronos. Firstly, its visibility. Most of the FFXIV content on social media features accounts that use the mod, putting it in the public eye much more than other mods. Additionally, Mare is one of a few mods that interacts with other players’ games in such an open and invasive way, and it could be that Square Enix is worried about the furthering of that technology that might allow for more insidious game tampering when put to other uses. This sort of tampering represents a potential liability for Square Enix, which is likely trying to avoid potential backlash should something go wrong.
Why Final Fantasy Fans Have Review-Bombed FF14 as a Result
In response to the mod being shut down, some players have taken to Steam to express their displeasure. In around 48 hours, over 400 negative reviews have been posted on both the main Final Fantasy XIV page as well as its Dawntrail DLC page. Some discuss the actual contents of the game and DLC, while others express their displeasure at Square Enix’s response to the mod.
Many call it unfair that Square Enix is removing a mod that’s purely cosmetic, something that has no impact on the actual balance or gameplay of the game. The harsher critics claim that the company should worry less about selling cosmetics and more about making the game fun to play. While these reviews only represent a small portion of the FFXIV community, it’s enough to lower the ratings on both games’ listings on the Steam store.
What the Decision Means for Final Fantasy Mods in General
Like most long-tenured live service games, Final Fantasy XIV suffers from the same loss of face as games like Destiny 2 and Overwatch 2, and this most recent bout of bad reputation is one in a long line of community upsets. In this instance, the community is somewhat divided on the matter of whether or not Mare Synchronos should remain usable. One side agrees with Square Enix, saying mods that use peer-to-peer communication are inherently dangerous for players and the company alike.
The other side, however, argues that this is simply an example of corporate greed, with Square Enix looking to force players to either grind for or purchase cosmetics that they would otherwise be able to mirror from another player. No matter which rings more true, the last thing any live-service game needs is more controversy. However, there is something to be said about Square Enix leaving many other mods, including the ones that facilitate and support Mare’s, alone. It seems that modding for Final Fantasy XIV will remain alive for now, but with no guarantee.
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