Final Fantasy XVI’s setting is heavily inspired by medieval Europe, and as such won’t be “be as diverse as say modern-day Earth,” according to one of the game’s producers. That answer, and the game’s lack of diversity, hasn’t gone over well with some of the franchise’s fans, sparking more than a few heated conversations on social media.
In a new interview with IGN, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida gave a long answer to a question some fans have been wondering since the game’s announcement trailer: Are there any people of color in the world of Final Fantasy XVI? The game’s trailers to date have depicted a bloody, dark fantasy tale filled with swords and sorcery, but so far have had a distinct lack of non-white characters.
Noting that his answer “may end up being disappointing to some,” Yoshida explained the reasoning behind the game’s lack of diversity. According to Yoshida, there is diversity in the game’s world of Valisthea, but that it is “not all-encompassing,” and is “synergistic with the setting we’ve created and is true to the inspirations from which we are drawing.” Much of Yoshida’s answer as to the game’s lack of diversity is attributed to the team’s desire to be “true” to the medieval Europe inspiration behind Final Fantasy XVI’s world.
“Our design concept from the earliest stages of development has always heavily featured medieval Europe, incorporating historical, cultural, political, and anthropological standards that were prevalent at the time,” Yoshida said.
As such, Yoshida said an “over-incorporation [of diverse characters] into this single corner of a much larger world could end up causing a violation of those narrative boundaries we originally set for ourselves.
“The story we are telling is fantasy, yes, but also rooted in reality,” Yoshida said.
The team didn’t want to assign “distinctive ethnicities” to either the antagonist or the protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI to avoid “inviting unwarranted speculation, and ultimately stoking flames of controversy.” Yoshida said the team wants “the focus to be less on the outward appearance of our characters and more on who they are as people–people who are complex and diverse in their natures, backgrounds, beliefs, personalities, and motivations.”
Final Fantasy XVI is set to release in the summer of 2023 for PlayStation 5, with the game’s latest trailer highlighting various kingdoms at war and massive Eikon battles. Final Fantasy XVI will be the first main entry in the long-running franchise to sport a Mature-rating and will forgo the series’ traditional turn-based combat for more character action-like battles.
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