Final Fantasy 16 Players Plan Boycott Due to Lack of Diversity
Several Final Fantasy players have recently announced their intention to boycott Final Fantasy 16 due to concerns about the game’s lack of diversity. The development team’s response to this issue has been deemed “continuously questionable” by the community.
In an interview last November, producer Naoki Yoshida addressed the lack of diversity, but his response failed to alleviate the concerns of Black and minority ethnic players.
As a direct response, some players have decided to boycott Final Fantasy 16 due to its lack of diversity and minority characters.
One player shared their thoughts, stating, “Despite the notable criticism and online backlash regarding the lack of diversity in the game, and Square’s consistently questionable response to the topic, it appears that many people still plan to purchase FF16.” They also created a poll to gather the opinions of fellow gamers.
An important question emerged from this discussion, “Doesn’t it make more sense to ‘vote with your wallet’ and not purchase the game if you have these concerns?”
One commenter shared their decision, saying, “I am boycotting the game. There are plenty of other games to play, and while it may not change anything, it will make me feel better about my purchases.” Another voiced their opinion, “I’m choosing not to buy it. To be honest, knowing that other games like Starfield and Dragon’s Dogma offer black characters and black character creation makes it easy to skip FFXVI. Forspoken is mediocre, but having a good character like Frey helps a little. I’m good.”
At present, the poll has received over 1200 responses. However, only 2.9% (approximately 40 people) are actively planning to boycott the game. Surprisingly, 72.8% still intend to purchase it despite the concerns surrounding diversity. Additionally, 24.3% of respondents stated that they had no plans to pick up Final Fantasy 16 at all.
One fan explained, “No, I wouldn’t be able to play any games if I boycotted them solely based on a lack of diversity in characters who resemble me. Honestly, representation for black women and other marginalized groups in gaming is woefully inadequate. Since I started playing games before the age of five, I’ve always chosen games based on their fun factor. Thirty years later, my approach remains the same.” Another person added, “As a black person, I respect your decision to boycott, but I’ll be there on day one.”
Important Note: Copies of Final Fantasy 16 have been leaked ahead of its release next week, so be cautious of potential spoilers.