Gender locked race?

[Seraphor]

Because not everyone does raids. If you don't do the Coils of Bahamut they retcon the MSQ for you. The lore around this kind of side content is subject to change. If you haven't done Return to Ivalice, Fran will probably be introduced in a completely different way if they decide to make her relevant in Shadowbringers, and any Viera lore about them keeping to the forest will probably be thrown out the window.

It doesnt matter who reads what, you can skip the entire MSQ if you want.
Yoshi P specifically drew attention to this lore as important information pertaining to the status of male Viera in hydaelyn.

[Gwenorai]

It doesnt matter who reads what, you can skip the entire MSQ if you want.
Yoshi P specifically drew attention to this lore as important information pertaining to the status of male Viera in hydaelyn.

Because the lore actually depends on how you read it and what you take from it. In fact, the Dramaturge talks in the past tense. This is how things used to be, now things have changed in recent times. Example; those who leave the wood aren't seen as outcasts or exiles no more.

When he was a youth he did this travelling, he never saw one and others didn't see them either. But times are changing - they are changing, their way of life is changing. Things that were shunned are shunned no longer. The war has them on the defensive, they need aid. They need the WoD.

Let's also bring forward the fact they're supposedly all in that wood. These fierce warriors who defend the wood and their families. Having them not defend the wood in any shape or form goes against their lore unless something extremely drastic, such as their deaths or capture - would have it make sense.

Viera are not idiotic, they will seek help from outsiders if it is to protect the wood. If the wood tells a viera to leave in order to become WoL or put them on that path. They will leave.

[Melichoir]

It doesnt matter who reads what, you can skip the entire MSQ if you want.
Yoshi P specifically drew attention to this lore as important information pertaining to the status of male Viera in hydaelyn.

As poitned out by others, they say theyre rare to see, not non-existent. What Yoshi-P says actually doesnt give you either way and it depends wholly on your perspective.

Perspective A:Male Viera are incredibly rare - Means we wont see them other than maybe an NPC here or there.
Perspective B: Male Viera are incredibly rare, but theyre in the game and possibly a player race.

This brings up the question: If we cant play as them, why not just say so? Why not say were keeping true to old lore and youll only really see female viera and play as such. Why not be upfront. Cause you know whats going to happen if they dont: People will have expecations (which they do) and those expectations are going to be thrown out the window, and whatever they put in Male Viera's place will likely get lambasted broadly. It would be better for them not to play the ambiguous card and let people know that its not goign to happen so people, while disappointed, will shift their attention and speculation to what is coming. Thus far, thats not happening (as this thread demonstrates). This would be a bit of a PR misstep for ShB if the plan was to be ambiguous and then reveal "Sorry guys! No Male Viera. Have this Hrothgar instead! Hes cool right!?"

Also consider this from an outside point of view:

You think people arent going to start saying "Why are they having girl play bunnies in the game, but no boy ones?" SJ stuff aside, people were asking and demanding for there to be male versions of hte GoldSaucer Bunny costume. The demand was there enough that SE actually did it. Now that was a glamour. What makes anyone think that argument wont get cranked up when it comes to a playable race? I keep bringing this stuff up because we should take into accoutn what SE would choose to do as a business. Avoiding PR missteps and fan backlash over really foolish design aesthetics, not being clear about something fans clearly want and addressing it, pulling what will amount to many people seeing as a bait and switch...yeah, these are things SE would consider, regardless of YoshiPs feelings. If he felt strongly enough about not having them, SE would tell him to just verify they wont be a part of it.