Video game redesigns male character after fans complain he’s ‘too sexy’
By Josh Haggis
Video game studio Square Enix has changed the design of a male character in its latest game after some fans argued that he was “too sexy”.
When a preview of Wal from the latest installment in the hugely popular Final Fantasy series were unveiled in December, the Japanese studio copped a backlash from some fans online who were critical of the “skimpy” outfits the character was wearing.
Despite video games such as Tomb Raider featuring female characters in sexually suggestive outfits without complaint from male fans, Final Fantasy producer Yoshinori Kitase has revealed that the design has now been toned down to appease players.
“For this game, we’re moving forward during development and letting it evolve while taking into consideration users’ opinions, so I asked the character designer to make a change,” he told Rocket News.
“If enough people say they like those hip-lines, then we might bring the original costume back,” he added.
More stories:
Sam Smith: ‘There’s a lot of homophobia in the gay community’
Picture Special: Tovey and Groff strip off in latest ‘Looking’ episode