Final Fantasy 14 Is Being Review Bombed

On August 21st, fans of Final Fantasy 14 expressed their discontent on Steam, posting numerous negative reviews in response to a recent decision made by Square Enix. This action led to a significant drop in the game’s review rating, which was previously mostly positive, now listed as Mixed. The outcry followed an announcement by the creator of a well-liked mod for Final Fantasy 14 named “Mare Synchronos” that they were closing down due to receiving a legal notice from Square Enix.

In summary, Mare Synchronos allowed players of Final Fantasy 14 on PC to swap customized character models and loadouts among themselves for roleplay or social activities. However, it’s important to note that using Mare Synchronos and other player-generated addons violates Square Enix’s terms of service, as per the game’s licensing contracts. Since Square Enix doesn’t employ anti-cheat software or mod detection systems to prevent such actions, they rely on user reports and visual evidence to punish rule-breakers.

Final Fantasy 14 Players React to the Shutdown of a Popular Mod

Despite a current decrease in subscribers for Final Fantasy 14, recent actions taken by the company have sparked a significant reaction among some gamers. The official Final Fantasy 14 subreddit announced that the project Mare Synchronos would be shutting down on Friday, August 22nd at 6:00 AM Eastern, following a legal inquiry from Square Enix. In response to this shutdown, the Mare Synchronos repositories were taken down, and the mod’s creator requested users to refrain from speculation or harassment regarding the situation. However, players of Final Fantasy 14 have since mobilized on Steam, with Recent Review ratings for the game dropping to Mixed due to a surge of negative reviews from disgruntled players showing support for Mare Synchronos.

The investigation into Mare Synchronos is not a unique event, as Final Fantasy 14 has previously taken action against mod creators. In January 2025, the director and producer of Final Fantasy 14, Naoki Yoshida, publicly addressed the issue surrounding the contentious PlayerScope mod. This mod allowed access to client-side AccountID information, enabling the mod operator to view player character details without authorization. Yoshida revealed that Square Enix was contemplating legal action against PlayerScope and had implemented steps to eliminate future client-side vulnerabilities that made such a mod possible in the first place.

Despite Final Fantasy 14‘s prohibition on user-made modifications, the developers have incorporated functions that were formerly managed by mods, such as the Chat Bubbles in Patch 7.3. However, it remains to be seen how Square Enix’s handling of Mare Synchronos will impact their community and gameplay experience in the future.

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2025-08-22 01:56