Square Enix has once again relaxed restrictions on gifting between players in Final Fantasy XIV. According to an update from the official mall, starting from April 2, the online store will add a "Buy For a Friend" option, allowing players to purchase gifts for specific accounts. The overall reaction of the community was a sigh of relief: many people have long wanted to give their friends mounts or emotes in a legal and simple way, and now they finally don’t have to go through any detours.
"Specific categories" gift items, focusing on single-character products and decorations
The official gift list includes: mounts (single character), pets (single character), expression and action music sheets, face painting, chocobo armor, and fashion accessories. This choice seems very deliberate, focusing on types that are less likely to be used for gray transaction arbitrage, which not only satisfies players' mutual exchange of feelings, but also minimizes risks.
The official did not say how long it will be open, and players are worried that it will be taken back at any time.
There is currently no announcement clearly indicating when the gift-giving function will be enabled. If you originally planned to give a certain item to a friend, you may want to start early to avoid being suddenly turned back. This approach of launching first and observing later is also in line with Square Enix’s past conservative approach to risky features.
Why was it tightened back then? The reason is the risk of fraud and black gold trading!
In October 2022, Square Enix significantly restricted players from sending mall items to each other, mainly to reduce loopholes in fraud, theft, and illegal cash flows. Because once the gift-giving mechanism is opened, it may be exploited: criminals use questionable payment methods to purchase props and give them away, then resell them for profit. In the end, refunds or claims are made, leaving behind market chaos and victims. In other words, with this reopening, players are happy but also worried that if there is a lot of abuse again, the functions may be withdrawn again.
This is a "limited return", and it's unclear how long it can last.
For ordinary players, being able to directly send friends mounts, pets and cosmetic props in the official store is indeed a great step in social interaction; but it currently looks more like a compromise version made by Square Enix under risk control: it is not surprising to only open some categories and only open it for a period of time for observation. Players who want to give gifts can take advantage of the opportunity now, but don’t be too optimistic and think that it will be open permanently from now on.
For Southeast Asian players, the immediate impact of this update will depend on execution quality, platform stability, and whether follow-up communications provide concrete details around “ff14” you can finally give gifts to friends in the mall! you can get mounts and pets as gifts, so players can.