Square Enix has recently updated its “Materials Usage License” via an official announcement on The Lodestone, the official community hub for Final Fantasy XIV. The revised policy now outlines new guidelines for how fans can utilize FFXIV’s assets.
Under the updated rules, fans are permitted to craft non-commercial physical goods under specific terms, a privilege that was previously unavailable. It’s important to note that the new regulations explicitly forbid the production of physical items using AI-generated content or 3D printing technology.
According to the revised terms, any fan-made merchandise featuring FFXIV’s copyrighted material must be crafted personally. The new restrictions require that a link or QR code referencing the updated policy be included on the goods, replacing the traditional copyright notice. Additionally, any fan-made items distributed to others must be given away at no cost, as the policy strictly prohibits the sale or commercial exploitation of the game’s intellectual property.
An exception is made for commissioned physical goods, specifically business cards and stickers. While the policy generally disallows outsourcing the creation of printed products to companies or stores, these two items are exempt under certain conditions. Business cards must include the player’s character, Home World (server), or social media handle in the design. Stickers, meanwhile, can only be produced if they feature an illustration or screenshot that includes the player’s own character.
The new policy also makes it clear that reproducing official FFXIV merchandise is not allowed, providing examples like “creating items by molding official merchandise or promotional items.”
The allowance for business cards may be particularly appealing to FFXIV enthusiasts who exchange character or community cards at events like the Fan Festival, though Square Enix has not confirmed this as the motivation behind the exception.