‘Final Fantasy XVI’ Producer Naoki Yoshida Tells Gamers: Don’t Make Or Install Offensive Or Inappropriate Mods
Naoki Yoshida, Producer of Final Fantasy XVI, has asked gamers not to make offensive or inappropriate mods to the latest installment of the beloved franchise.
The request came via an interview with PC Gamer, discussing the recent PC launch of Final Fantasy XVI. On the subject of mods, PC Gamer’s Mollie Taylor asked Director Hiroshi Takai if there were any “goofy” mods he’d like to see the community create.
However, Producer Naoki Yoshida instead stepped in to answer. “If we said ‘It’d be great if someone made xyz,’ it might come across as a request, so I’ll avoid mentioning any specifics here!” He then added “The only thing I will say is that we definitely don’t want to say anything offensive or inappropriate, so please don’t make or install anything like that.”
Yoshida’s hope isn’t entirely unexpected, both in the gaming industry and his own experiences. Offensive or inappropriate mods can generate the wrong kind of headlines when noticed, which can generate bad PR for a company.
For example, a Street Fighter 6 tournament in August 2023 accidentally broadcast a nude Chun-li mod to viewers. Capcom later told developers they should be concerned over mods that are “offensive to public order and morals,” and that they could be mistaken as an official part of the game, causing harm to the company.
The MMORPG bans mods in its terms of service, as even aesthetic mods could hide elements that affect gameplay, such as gaining an advantage in PvP. There is one instance where this applies unfairly to PvE: the race for a World First clear of new content.
One group in February 2023 cheated to get a World’s First, with a mod to allow the camera to be pulled further back (seeing more of the arena, and therefore seeing telegraphed attacks easier). Yoshida released a scathing message thereafter, condemning third-party tools.
However, a sizable element of Final Fantasy XIV mods includes those with NSFW content. These include altering characters’ bodies to be more curvaceous, more explicit, or manipulating the Gpose (used for high quality photos) to create explicit scenes.
There’s also the Mare Synchronous mod, allowing those who use it to see other users’ characters modifications. As Mare Lamentorum is a location in the game, players can mention it in their Adventurer Plate (character profile) to signal to others that they are using the mod. This can therefore be used for NSFW content.
The Glamour Dresser features 1,244 NSFW mods for Final Fantasy XIV, and XIV Mod Archive features 989 mods marked as NSFW by the creator (either via description or tag). The latter includes anything from swimsuits to pornographic content.
The latter’s most popular SFW mod has over 74,400 downloads, and is the ninth most popular mod. Six other mods are more popular, with a total of over 1,684,900 downloads (an average of over 280,800 each). Two other mods in the top five, though not marked as NSFW, include “Tight&Firm” mods for body and clothing that aren’t explicit, but still racy.
While the game’s community has been accused of being lewd – being asked to keep Erotic Role Play activities private, Kotaku’s exposé on player-made brothels and strip clubs, players making lewd profile portraits, and various pieces of adult fan art – perhaps this is reputation is no worse than any other popular game or MMO. Aside from the Balmung server.
Despite all this, Final Fantasy XVI is a more mature game in the series. While not beyond a Mature 17+ rating, the game features sexual and violent scenes. Though some mods may take this into an Adults Only rating, it should be noted “offensive and inappropriate” could also include material deemed hateful, such as slurs or references to extreme political groups.
Nexus Mods would be at least one mod website happy to purge such mods. Previously they banned mods that altered a character’s gender in Baldur’s Gate III (as it “erased” a lesbian relationship), removed pronouns from Starfield, removed LGBT flags from Marvel’s Spider-Man Remastered, and restored a censored scene in Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Square Enix has been censoring sexual content over the last few years, along with adding pronouns and removing gender in favor of “Body Types.” Could Yoshida fear mods being mistaken as a genuine part of the game, undoing the reputation Square Enix was trying to present?
Is this a concern Yoshida should even have? Shareholders recently questioned Square Enix over their relationship Sweet Baby Inc. The company also suffered a 70% decline in profits, swearing they would focus on quality over quantity, and to be “more selective and focused” with their resources.
Recent high-profile bombs include Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League, Forspoken, and Marvel’s Avengers. All games that certainly tried to avoid being offensive and inappropriate.
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