One of the most popular features of Final Fantasy XIV is its Group Pose feature, popularly called Gpose by the community. Group Pose is the game’s photo mode, allowing players to take pictures using a wide variety of emotes as poses, along with many other options such as filters and lighting adjustments. The feature is so popular that the official FFXIV community team hosts Group Pose competitions across social media. However, this popularity came at a cost, drawing the attention of the Japanese rating organization, the Computer Entertainment Rating Organization (CERO).
We translated the official statement from the Final Fantasy XIV Japan team, which states: “Starting in Patch 7.5, the CERO rating of Final Fantasy XIV will change from CERO-C to CERO-D.” CERO-C indicates a rating for ages 15 and older, while CERO-D is for ages 17 and older. The CERO-D rating is roughly equivalent to a PEGI 16 in the Pan-European Game Information (PEGI) system and an M for Mature 17+ from the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB). Only time will tell whether the Final Fantasy XIV rating will change in these other rating systems and the countries they cover as well.
The FFXIV team also explained that the reason for this change is to preserve the full freedom of the Group Pose feature without imposing any limitations. Retaining the CERO-C rating would have required Square Enix to restrict certain aspects of the mode. They also clarified that this change applies only to the rating classification, with “no changes to content, Terms of Service, fees, etc.” However, it remains unclear whether this adjustment was made in response to Group Pose features that will be added in Patch 7.5, or because of content that players could already create and share.
It is very rare for a video game company to change a game’s rating after so many years on the market, especially when doing so prioritizes players over government or organizational restrictions. Square Enix decided to protect players’ freedom and creative expression, even at the cost of a shift in their market classification. Hopefully, more companies will make similar decisions by putting players and developers first. For the latest in gaming and Square Enix news, stay tuned to GameObserver.
