Square Enix Group has made it clear that negativity toward its employees, executives, and partners will no longer be tolerated. On January 10, the company introduced a formal policy aimed at addressing harassment, citing incidents of what it described as “customer harassment,” including defamation, threats, and acts of violence.
According to the announcement, these behaviors have undermined the safety and well-being of Square Enix staff, prompting the company to take a firm stance against such actions.
Square Enix has announced that it will take firm action against behavior it deems harmful or exceeding what it considers “socially acceptable.” In cases involving harassment or unreasonable demands, the company may terminate access to its products and services for offenders. Additionally, if conduct is judged to be excessive or malicious, Square Enix warns it will pursue legal measures, including criminal proceedings.
The company outlined specific examples of unacceptable behavior, including violence, abusive language, defamation, slander, trespassing, discriminatory speech, and sexual harassment.
While categories such as threats of violence, trespassing, or sexual harassment are undeniably serious concerns, especially in light of tragic incidents like the Kyoto Animation arson attack the broader definitions of “harassment” and “discriminatory speech” have raised questions among some observers.
It’s easy to argue these measures could be interpreted as a defensive response to fan backlash over perceived shifts in game content, including moves toward what some view as prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives over quality and enjoyment. From this viewpoint, the guidelines may be seen not only as necessary protections for employees but also as a potential means to suppress dissent about creative decisions that some fans feel detract from the core gaming experience.
In recent years, Square Enix has faced widespread criticism for incorporating ideological changes across its game portfolio, particularly in re-releases or remakes of classic titles like Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest.
These alterations often involve censorship aligned with modern global ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) social norms, aimed at avoiding content deemed offensive or problematic. Notable changes include modifying character designs to reduce revealing clothing, removing physics effects such as jiggle physics and upskirt visuals, and shifting away from traditional male and female sex terminologies in favor of more “inclusive” body type descriptor.
Square Enix has increasingly aligned its game development strategies with ESG-driven political initiatives emphasizing diversity and inclusivity, leading to zero commercial success. Final Fantasy XVI, notable for being the first mainline installment to feature a same-sex romance, faced lukewarm reception and failed to recoup its development budget.
Similarly, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also flopped and sparked controversy due to retroactive censorship of its prequel, including alterations to Tifa’s iconic cowboy outfit and the removal of certain in-game interactions, such as the ability to steal Tifa’s underwear.
The Final Fantasy VII remakes also reimagined the Honeybee Inn scene, shifting its depiction from a brothel to a more inclusive performance setting with a focus on male crossdressing themes. Final Fantasy VII Remake co-director Motomu Toriyama proclaimed that such changes were done for “modern sensibilities.”
Such modifications reflect a broader trend of altering classic titles to meet global social standards, sparking rightful criticism from long-time fans. Iconic artwork, including designs originally crafted by the late Akira Toriyama, has been adjusted, with changes such as less pronounced lips for the Boss Troll in Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake and more conservative depictions of female characters, much to the disgust of its original creator.
Developers at Square Enix have justified these changes by citing modern cultural sensitivities and accessibility concerns. However, these adjustments undermine creative freedom, fan enjoyment, and the legacy of the company’s most beloved titles.
Square Enix continues to push forward with its modern development philosophy, as highlighted by recent statements from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth producer and director Naoki Hamaguchi.
The producer referenced “social problems, issues, and cultural depictions” in the original game as factors necessitating updates for a modern audience. Hamaguchi further described the challenge of making gameplay more accessible and inclusive for a broader demographic, stating that the original Final Fantasy VII was “difficult to understand” and thus such a game releasing in today’s climate would ultimately alienate consumers.
Many agree that these changes come at the cost of creative freedom and the enjoyment of long-standing fans who helped establish the franchise’s success.
Fans have voiced growing discontent over Square Enix’s continued alignment with DEI and ESG initiatives, highlighted by its partnership with Sweet Baby Inc for the development of Forspoken, investor concerns have also surfaced, prompting questions about the company’s future involvement with Sweet Baby Inc.
Despite these challenges, CEO Takashi Kiryu recently reaffirmed the company’s commitment to producing “safe” games during a shareholder meeting, even as its releases continue struggling financially.
Square Enix’s policy against “discriminatory speech” is seen by some as a double-edged sword, while fostering a respectful environment, there is concern it could be used to dismiss legitimate critiques of game design choices, particularly from players critical of DEI-driven initiatives.
Additionally, company guidelines discouraging excessive customer demands or punitive feedback on employees may be perceived as a move to shield developers from meaningful fan engagement.
This approach has fueled accusations that Square Enix is ignoring core audience preferences, particularly regarding censorship of female character designs. Many fear the company’s trajectory will continue to result in high-budget releases that alienate fans and fail to achieve commercial success.
This evolving dynamic highlights a growing tension between corporate initiatives aimed at protecting employees and ensuring orderly communication and the frustrations of players who feel marginalized by forced social agendas and censorship.
Because if I had to make a damn educated guess about why Square Enix slapped down these new guidelines to stifle “hateful conduct” and crush negative opinions about their company, it’s probably thanks to the dumpster fire that is Final Fantasy XIV’s Dawntrail expansion. The story’s a train wreck, starring none other than the insufferable Wuk Lamat, who hogs the damn spotlight so hard it’s like she’s running the whole game solo.
Hell, she’s got more voiced lines than other major characters combined.
If that wasn’t already a complete mess, DEI-fueled nepotism took it up a notch. The English localizer’s buddy decided to cast transgender voice actor Sena Byrer as Wuk Lamat.
The result? A cringe-inducing performance for a universally despised Mary Sue character, an all-knowing, untouchable furry tyrant nobody’s allowed to question. The backlash? Forum threads exploded into hundreds of pages roasting Sena’s portrayal for being absolutely godawful.
Right, because apparently being trans means you can just wing it and call it voice acting without any effort to sound polished or feminine. Sena’s voice acting for Wuk Lamat was flat-out dreadful.
The backlash got so intense that Yoshi-P (Naoki Yoshida) himself had to step in and “condemn” the so-called abuse Sena supposedly faced, claims of death and rape threats that, unsurprisingly, remain unreceipted by the actor.
Still, Yoshi-P labeled it all as “transphobic abuse,” defending Sena, a delusional man thinking he’s a woman, cast in a lead role with voice acting skills that sound like nails on a chalkboard. No shocker that this disaster probably led to Square Enix’s new policy supposedly “protecting” employees AND partners.
But here’s the kicker, there are official forum posts spanning over 300 pages, filled with paying customers tearing apart Wuk Lamat’s portrayal, the story, and the laughably bad English dub.
Square Enix’s response? A warning that players airing their frustrations could face legal action for “transphobic” comments and even get banned from Final Fantasy XIV if their words can be linked to their accounts.
These guidelines, while ostensibly about maintaining professionalism, could be interpreted as emblematic of broader cultural conflicts within the gaming industry. Debates surrounding creative freedom, audience expectations, and social responsibility persist, even as Square Enix’s financial performance continues to decline.
