Final Fantasy 14 devs made the Viper job because the MMO's community wanted to feel like a Sword Art Online icon, but immediately ran into a problem: "Kirito is kind of overpowered"

Screenshot from Final Fantasy 14's new graphics update, showing a character in an action pose. .

Final Fantasy 14 director and producer Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida says Dawntrail's new Viper job was partly shaped by the MMO community's desire to play a two-sworded melee DPS character who felt like Sword Art Online's Kirito. 

Speaking to Rock, Paper, Shotgun, Yoshi-P shares that the team considered fan desires when designing the new job. The result? A job that starts with two blades but can stick 'em together after building up points for bigger damage. Skills have a low cooldown, but combos are flexible enough to allow you to take a string of moves in whatever direction you fancy. 

For Yoshi-P, it's the result of delivering on the power fantasy that fans want without succumbing to how overpowered Sword Art Online's Kirito actually is – there are heaps of other jobs within the MMO you've got to factor in, after all.

"We received a lot of feedback from players around the world that if we were to implement another melee DPS, they would want to have a job where they could use two swords," Yoshi-P explains. "And what's more, at the same time, it was often that they would provide an example, like Kirito from Sword Art Online.

"So, we went with an approach where we would be focusing on stylish, speedy action, and also making it look cool. But when it comes to Kirito from Sword Art Online, Kirito is kind of overpowered and very strong in the game. So, for Viper, we thought about showcasing that sensation of becoming strong and for the player to become focused on their actions and getting absorbed into battle. And that was a challenge for us to consider."

I've played a wee bit of Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail and the Viper job myself, and dare I say the team has pulled it off. Job balance has been a popular topic of late, as Yoshida himself admits that years of over-simplification have meant jobs have lost a sense of individuality - a feeling he plans to return in Dawntrail and beyond. 

As a Samurai main, I await what happens with bated breath. If anything, though, The Viper and Pictomancer fill me with enough hope to tide me over. The wait isn't long, either – Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail releases June 28 in early access and July 2 in full.

2 years later, Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P is "really torn" over whether removing one of the MMO community's most beloved skills was the right call.