Following the launch of Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox Series X/S consoles, a player reported receiving a ban from Xbox's services for using a common term from the critically acclaimed MMORPG. After the appeal to their temporary ban was initially denied, the Final Fantasy 14 player contacted other users for their aid with the situation.

Since its announcement at the 2023 Las Vegas Fan Fest, Final Fantasy 14's arrival on Xbox has been a point of contention within the player community. Though some users were glad to see another platform join the fold, the Xbox Series X/S client of Final Fantasy 14 has some unique requirements that other platforms do not. For example, the Xbox version requires an Xbox Game Pass membership and a separate game time subscription to Final Fantasy 14. However, Xbox Game Pass Ultimate members have until April 19 to claim the Final Fantasy 14: Starter Edition at no additional cost, including A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, and 30 days of game time.

Though Final Fantasy 14 on Xbox has its unique quirks, one player reportedly received a ban from Xbox for using FF14 game terminology. On Reddit, a user named TGB_B20kEn posted on the r/ffxiv subreddit to ask for help with their Xbox account ban. According to TGB_B20kEn, they received a ban from Xbox services because the term "free company" was falsely flagged by Microsoft's services for "solicitation" in their looking for group posts. TGB_B20kEn appealed their two-month ban from Xbox online services, but the motion was denied. In the comments of the r/ffxiv post, one user stated that they had contact with an Xbox moderator, and would forward TGB_B20kEn's case to them to see what could be done.

this is an xbox account ban, which means SE can't do anything but ask microsoft to do something

— Jason (@envinyon) March 30, 2024

In Final Fantasy 14, a Free Company is a player-run guild that allows access to perks such as a shared chat channel and housing, and an opportunity for newer FF14 players to make friends in the game. Free Companies can also supply buffs to aid newer players in leveling up various Jobs. However, the term "free company" does not equate to "solicitation" in Final Fantasy 14. Since TGB_B20kEn's ban was on Xbox online services and not Final Fantasy 14 itself, users such as @envinyon on Twitter pointed out that it would be up to Microsoft to correct the problem.

The news came at a rough time for Square Enix, as pre-orders for Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail experienced some issues. Whether TGB_B20kEn sees their two-month ban from Xbox services lifted or not remains to be seen.

Posted: Apr 05, 2024 2:51 pm
Related Forum: Xbox Forum

Source: https://gamerant.com/final-fantasy-14-players-banned-xbox-free-company-term/