Some gamers are planning to boycott Final Fantasy 16 over a lack of diversity in the game.
Producer Naoki Yoshida, from developer Square Enix, responded to criticism about the lack of female and ethnic minority characters in the latest instalment of the fantasy series last year. He claimed that the lack of diversity fitted the "isolated nature” of Valisthea, a fictional world based on Medieval Europe.
He also argued that this setting was “never going to realistically be as diverse” as modern-day Earth or the expansive worlds of previous Final Fantasy games, and that over-incorporating diversity in the game cause a “violation” of the game’s narrative boundaries.
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He said: “The story we are telling is fantasy, yes, but it is also rooted in reality", according to IGN. He faced severe criticism for this response, with many arguing that diversity was still present during this time period.
Responding to Yoshida's argument, Twitch streamer DataDave said: "The reasoning was maintaining the realism and having their game rooted in reality based on Medieval Europe, but even during those times, diversity did exist", according to EuroGamer. Now, some gamers are planning to boycott Final Fantasy 16 ahead of the game’s launch on Thursday, June 22.
On a ResetEra forum, one person said playing the latest release felt a “little odd” given the criticism. They wrote: “It would seem like the best way to send a message to Square would be to 'vote with your wallet' per se, and not purchase the game given these concerns?”
Another, who is not purchasing the title, added: “It's not particularly difficult either, given just how many games there are to play. It won’t move the needle, but it’ll make me feel better about my purchases.”
A third said: "I'm not buying it. To be completely honest, knowing that Starfield and Dragon's Dogma are coming with black characters and black character creation make it really easy to skip FFXVI.”
However, many in response disagreed with adopting a boycott and said they would be playing the game regardless. One person said: "Since the very first time I started playing games before the age of five, I played games based on if they are fun or not. 30 some years later, this has not changed.”
Another added: “Square could definitely improve things but there are so many games with lack of diversity so not sure why this is the game that draws the line.”
Final Fantasy 16 is a timed exclusive, meaning it will initially only be available on PlayStation 5. It will be released this Thursday on June 22.
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