Square Enix accused of cultural appropriation over Final Fantasy XIV outfits

Final Fantasy XIV is in the middle of a controversy over Far Northern Attire, a cosmetic item pack that sells for $18 USD. It includes various winter garments that were not seen by the Sami people, a culture that extends to various regions of Finland, Norway, Sweden and more countries.

Áslat Holmberg, president of the Sami Council, sent a message to Square Enix to demand the removal of said content, as they consider it to be cultural appropriation. This is because the outfits recover elements and are inspired by traditional expressions of the Sami.

Find out: “We’re Not Giving Up Yet,” Phil Spencer Wants You To Final Fantasy XIV come to xbox

Related video: The future is uncertain for E3 2023

They point to Square Enix already Final Fantasy XIV by cultural appropriation

Through a statement, the Sami Council assured that the elements represented in Final Fantasy XIV They are the property of their people. So he accuses Square Enix and his MMO of violating his copyright. For this reason, they ask you to remove the content as a sign of respect.

“Our cultural property rights are not theoretical. They are protected and can be protected under intellectual property laws, which are generally harmonized around the world. Square Enix, as a media company, is very aware of copyright laws and has no excuse for this flagrant violation of Sami cultural property,” Holmberg said.

He added that the content is harmful to the traditions of his people. He assured that the meaning of their clothing is not purely aesthetic, since it is strongly linked to their identity and history. He singled out Square Enix for not respecting all of this and appropriating his culture without permission.

“By creating this product, Square Enix has allowed its 41 million players to dress as the people of the Sami people, dress in the Sami identity without our consent and contribute to the erosion of our culture,” added the head of the Council.

Holmberg accepted that the video game industry is becoming more inclusive and that they, as an indigenous people, are open to possible collaborations with entertainment companies. However, he stressed that Square Enix’s ways were not correct.

“There is a proper and appropriate way to establish, maintain and enforce these collaborations to ensure that all necessary elements are met,” Holmberg concluded. As of this writing, Square Enix has not commented on the matter.

? The Saami Council sued @SquareEnix to immediately remove the Final Fantasy XIV costume set “Far Northern Attire”! These elements are Sámi property and Square Enix has infringed on our rights

: https://t.co/eeRt13chx0 pic.twitter.com/l4CyQfXd0E

— The Saami Council (@SaamiCouncil) February 16, 2023

In case you missed it: In trouble? final fantasy is struggling to adapt to current trends

In this link you can find all the news related to Final Fantasy XIV.

Related video: Video game boycotts that were useless

Editorial: Gaming / Facebook / Twitter / Youtube / instagram / News / discord /Telegram / Google news

Fountain