Square Enix disclosed on April 20 that it has pursued legal measures after discovering multiple videos targeting its executives and staff with harassing content. The company stated that it pinpointed the individual responsible for uploading material on an unnamed video-sharing platform that tarnished both the company’s image and the reputation of those involved with Final Fantasy XIV.
By the time of the announcement, Square Enix confirmed that the problematic videos and the associated account had already been removed from the platform. The company noted it reached a peaceful resolution with the user, who issued an apology, paid an undisclosed compensation amount, and agreed to refrain from similar conduct moving forward.
This development comes after a separate instance of online harassment directed at Square Enix staff that the company addressed on March 2. As detailed in its official statement, Square Enix took action against the administrator of the Japanese news aggregation blog Netoge Sokuho (formerly “FF14 Sokuho”) for publishing articles that discredited its employees. Since the site owner operated anonymously, the company was required to file a legal request compelling the site’s host to reveal their identity, a process upheld by the court similarly to the recent situation. Subsequent negotiations led to the website owner offering a public apology, shutting down the site, and settling an undisclosed amount.
Although the specific account name and video details from the latest incident remain undisclosed, the company’s approach appears nearly identical to the measures taken in the Netoge Sokuho case.
In related news, following the shutdown of Netoge Sokuho, Umadori Sokuho, another Final Fantasy 14-focused aggregator blog voluntarily declared its closure, presumably to avoid further complications. Likewise, though unaffiliated with Square Enix, Pazusoku, an aggregator for Gung-ho’s Puzzle & Dragons, announced its closure in March as well.