Steam Account - Need help for users that don't actually have FFXIV on their steam

So I am a legacy player. You know those hip cool kids from 1.0
I got a free copy of FFXIV ARR and naturally I wanted to get my friends in. At the time, I had a friend who wasn't a PC gamer and didn't have steam or anything. So I used my steam account to buy them a copy when it went on sale and just handed them the product code.

For the past 5 years they have been able to play the game using the regular client. Unfortunately we all know SE pulled a EA Games, or intends to. Problem is, this person doesn't actually have FFXIV on Steam. They used my code. It's not like I or anyone else knew SE didn't know how to Steam properly, but it is what it is.

So... what can we do going forward? They will no longer be able to play FFXIV period once this change goes live. Steam doesn't transfer game ownership under any circumstance. What can we do?

You're going to have to explain to me what you mean by '' Unfortunately we all know SE pulled a EA Games, or intends to.'' (I assume you mean the recent announcement that means you need to press the play button on steam, to play?)

I mean, aren't you just sharing your game library with them in the first place if you are the technical owner of the steam version of the game? And if you are not, then do and it should be solved?

Yeah, I have no idea what you mean by "SE pulled an EA Games"; maybe I'm just missing the context (EA's pulled a lotta shady stuff, you'll have to be more specific). But if you gave your friend a product code, and they used it, it's on their Steam account, even if you paid for it. Which means the only thing that's changing is they'll actually need to start up Steam before playing the game. Unless they're using your Steam account to play, or something?

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Originally Posted by Defmetal

So I am a legacy player. You know those hip cool kids from 1.0
I got a free copy of FFXIV ARR and naturally I wanted to get my friends in. At the time, I had a friend who wasn't a PC gamer and didn't have steam or anything. So I used my steam account to buy them a copy when it went on sale and just handed them the product code.

For the past 5 years they have been able to play the game using the regular client. Unfortunately we all know SE pulled a EA Games, or intends to. Problem is, this person doesn't actually have FFXIV on Steam. They used my code. It's not like I or anyone else knew SE didn't know how to Steam properly, but it is what it is.

So... what can we do going forward? They will no longer be able to play FFXIV period once this change goes live. Steam doesn't transfer game ownership under any circumstance. What can we do?

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He should have Steam or he wouldn't be able to activate the code, or am I wrong?

OP is saying they bought the game on their account so FFXIV is on their account, and they just gave their friend the code steam gave them. The friend didn't need steam to authenticate that they owned the game before. They will soon, though - Which means theor friend (who doesn't own the game through steam) will likely have to buy it on their account or start it through "alternative means" that are sure to come out when the change happens.

I wonder if the FFXIV code is already tied to the OP's Steam account? If so, their friend might be out of luck since even if they buy the game for their own Steam account they'd just get a fresh FFXIV account with no characters on it. Giving game codes away like that is a bit of a gray area and I wouldn't be surprised if there's something in the Steam ToS that prohibits it. I hope you do find a solution but it may be best to mentally prepare for the worst.

I realize it's too late in this case, but for future reference when you want to buy someone something on Steam it's best to buy it as a gift so the recipient can add it to their own library.

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Originally Posted by tdb

I wonder if the FFXIV code is already tied to the OP's Steam account?

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They're not - Steam is only for purchasing the game/expansions (which gives you a mogstation code), Steam Wallet for optional items (which are delivered after logging into mogstation), and installing the base launcher/game the same way downloading it from the Square Enix store does.

You don't seem to understand - the other person does not have FFXIV in their steam library. I gave them a code, they registered it on mog station. They have never -prior to this update- needed to use steam. A FFXIV Steam code was the same as retail to them.

This update means that, since they do not have FFXIV in their steam library, FFXIV will be unplayable. A problem that SE created when there wasn't one. This means they will have to repurchase FFXIV since Steam does not allow you to transfer. Pulled an EA Games

To be clear it's not like anyone knew in 2013 how bad the steam version was. No one knew it was restricted, I thought it just another way to grab a product code. Other MMOs do not behave like this. Some Free to Play ones let you download the client and link it to your steam account, but SE is has to make the simple complicated 6 years in.

Your explanation matches mine...

Also, the steam version isn't "bad". It's literally 100% the same game. You just download the original installer through Steam, which then patches the game (which is again, a 1:1: copy of the non-steam version).

This update will kind of be a pain, but there will be ways to launch the game without using steam.