Early Birb Briefing

1-31-2023: Cheating in Final Fantasy XIV

·30 min·2 clips
Footage leaked showing a world-first team using forbidden add-ons in Final Fantasy XIV's ultimate raid.
The episode opens with a brief tech news segment about a rumored RTX 4090 Ti design, which the host dismisses as likely fake. The main topic shifts to Final Fantasy XIV, where the latest ultimate raid, The Omega Protocol (TOP), was released. Teams compete for world-first clears, often streamed publicly. The team Unnamed won without streaming, posting only a picture as proof. Leaked footage from a team member revealed they used add-ons like a DPS meter, zoom-out tool, and cooldown tracker, which violate the game's terms of service. The host explains that while DPS meters are commonly used in high-end raiding to meet strict damage checks, zoom-out and cooldown tools are considered clear cheating. Unnamed's excuse was that they assumed other teams were cheating too. MogTalk, a channel covering the race, issued a lengthy statement. They highlighted that the race helped raise over $56,000 for charity. MogTalk discussed community standards, noting that some add-ons like DPS meters are tolerated, while others are not. They also announced they would stop tracking offline clears due to verification challenges. The host argues that Square Enix should enforce rules more clearly but condemns witch-hunting against the cheating team. The episode concludes with the host suggesting Square Enix should sponsor the race to ensure integrity.

As heard by us

A race-cheating dispute, a sponsor detour, and a proof problem share the same feed.

The episode tracks a lively run of Final Fantasy XIV talk, with cheating claims, the Dragoon account issue, and a Mog Talk comment that casts the race as unusually large while noting the event raised over $56,000 for Children's Hospital.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

If you want FFXIV drama with a side of Babbel and alleged RTX 4090 Ti chatter, press play.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
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