Reports have surfaced about Xbox handing out bans to Final Fantasy XIV players simply for mentioning "free company" in the game's chat. Xbox's strict word filter mistakenly identifies the term as "solicitation," resulting in bans lasting up to 61 days and affecting the entire Microsoft account. Despite players' attempts to appeal these bans, their requests have been denied, leaving them feeling both frustrated and confused.
The problem appears to arise from a misunderstanding of Final Fantasy XIV's terminology. "Free company" is a commonly used term for player-run organizations within the game, similar to guilds in other online titles. Despite their attempts to appeal, players find themselves unable to communicate in-game or access other Xbox services for an extended period.
Players are expressing their frustration on various platforms, such as Reddit and X, highlighting instances where also harmless phrases like "harvest dance" being censored due to the system's overly sensitive filtering of consecutive letters "s," "t," and "d." Xbox's enforcement actions have left players scratching their heads, as they seek clarity and a resolution from the platform.
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