Final Fantasy XIV’s new outfit options sparked a strong debate about cultural appropriation.
A Sámi family was feeding their reindeer in their barn in Inari, wearing traditional Sámi costumes. Illustration picture. Kaisa Siren, AOP
The official Twitter account of Square Enix’s highly popular Final Fantasy XIV game published a photo of the game’s new outfit options.
In its tweet, the game series calls the outfits on the three game characters in the picture “the outfits of the far north”.
– Be comfortable in the snow in the outfit of the far north, the Final Fantasy XIV account writes in connection with the photo.
The outfits on the game characters strongly resemble Sami costumes. The colors, patterns and cuts of the costumes seem to imitate the details of the Sámi folk costumes.
Chairman of the Finnish Saami Youth Association Petra Laiti shared the series’ tweet and criticized the decision to use costumes belonging to the Sámi culture as the aesthetics of the fantasy game.
– A new day, a new multi-billion dollar business that blatantly appropriates indigenous cultures by fetishizing and reducing discriminated groups to fantasy characters. Disgusting, Laiti writes.
Laiti also commented on the original tweet. In his comment, he says that if you want to support an indie game where the Sámi are presented respectfully, you should check out the adventure game Skábma Snowfall.
Skábma Snowfall is a video game based on Sámi culture and stories.
– Support the indigenous peoples, don’t steal from us, Laiti writes at the end of the tweet.
Several other people of Sami background also accuse the creators of the Final Fantasy game series of cultural appropriation in the comments of the tweet. Some of the interviewees, on the other hand, consider the new outfits more of a tribute.