Highlights
- A man in Tokyo, Japan was arrested for stalking and harassing a woman through multiple outlets, including following her character around in Final Fantasy 14.
- Final Fantasy 14, despite a poor debut, has gained popularity over the years with continuous support from Square Enix, and it offers an online multiplayer experience with an emphasis on teamwork.
- The recent incident in Japan highlights the potential for stalking in online games and social media platforms, and raises the question of whether stricter moderation on video game servers is necessary to protect players.
In Japan, a man was incarcerated for stalking a woman through multiple means, with Final Fantasy 14 being one of them. Stalking is a horrendous crime that sadly multiple gamers have had to deal with in the past.
After a critically and financially poor debut in 2010, Final Fantasy 14 was heavily revised and relaunched in 2013 with the subtitle A Realm Reborn to a much more positive reception. Even ten years and two mainline games later, this entry is still heavily supported by Square Enix, with four (soon to be five) expansion campaigns and countless smaller updates coming out to this day. An MMORPG, this title places a heavy emphasis on playing online with countless other players and utilizing teamwork. It wasn't until a very recent update when Final Fantasy 14's story became beatable as a single-player experience, although it still requires an internet connection at all times.
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Being a game of this genre means there are plenty of opportunities for players to approach and talk to each other from all over the world, which means, unfortunately, there's ample room for stalking. Kobe News reports (as translated by Siliconera and verified by IGN) a 38-year-old man in Tokyo, Japan was arrested on October 17 for stalking a woman ten years his junior through multiple outlets, including Final Fantasy 14. Reportedly, his character followed hers around and incessantly messaged her, despite her repeatedly telling him not to and blocking him. The messages were threatening and abusive in nature, involving him demanding the woman's attention lest he tell her family about their past interactions.
It is not clear how much of the stalking took place within the everlasting Final Fantasy 14, as similar behavior reportedly also took place across various social media outlets such as Line and Twitter, via direct messaging. Upon arrest, the man denied some of the charges leveled against him, claiming that his actions were not carried out with romantic intent, but that doesn't change the fact that what he did goes against Japan's Anti-Stalking Control Law. His identity was not disclosed by sources, nor was the victim's.
It's fortunate for everyone that the situation did not escalate any further, and that the woman is now safe from her harasser. Harassment is prohibited on Final Fantasy 14's servers, but the story does not suggest that any in-game penalties were handed out. With other online-heavy games having been accused of not protecting players enough, perhaps it's time for a discussion regarding stricter online video game server moderation.
Final Fantasy 14 is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Kobe News, Siliconera, IGN