Final Fantasy 14’s Blacklist Feature Set for a Long-Awaited Overhaul

Final Fantasy 14 (FFXIV) is set for a big overhaul, with the addition of new features and functionalities in the Dawntrail expansion. In a 14-hour live stream, director and producer Naoki Yoshida discussed not only the graphical updates but also the overdue upgrade to FFXIV’s blacklist feature.

The blocklist/blacklist feature of Final Fantasy has always been considered one of its weakest points. Although it helps restrict messages and hide certain activities from blocklist-added players, it does little against actual stalkers and harassers who may exploit the game for such purposes.

However, with the new updates, Final Fantasy makers hope to address fans’ complaints against the limited functionality of the blacklist feature. The new features will include:

• Mute List — players can blacklist separately a maximum of 200 characters in this list. The blocked character models will be visible, but their messages will be hidden.
• Term Filter — this function will filter out messages containing words and terms censored by a player.
• Estate Expulsion Feature — players can remove unwanted players from their properties for up to 10 days. Players having a personal or free company estate can assign up to four other members or housemates to expel any unwanted guests.
• Improved Lodestone Privacy Settings — this will give players greater control over their privacy settings. Players can hide and limit the visibility of their Lodestone characters.

The announcements were met with positive approval by fans, but one significant issue remained unattended. The recent blacklist announcement did not clarify whether blocking a player would result in the removal of one’s name from the friend list of that player.

Moreover, players would continue to be partied together with blacklisted players in Duties, and their character model would be visible with the names displayed as “Unknown”. The only respite here is that players can choose whether to see what’s been said by the blacklisted players.

Nevertheless, with the addition of new functionalities, Yoshida hopes the feature will become more robust, safeguarding the interests of all players in the game.

“We have so many players now that use this game as sort of a second world,” Yoshida said, according to a translated statement in the Final Fantasy XIV Discord server. “I think it is time we implement features to protect everyone’s experience.”

While the changes are a welcome addition to the blacklist feature, it remains to be seen how FFXIV’s players will take advantage of this upgrade. Dawntrail expansion is set to be released on July 2, 2024, with early access expected June 28.