Nope, they gave the actual reason and that was resource restrictions.

The "rest of the world" besides those playing Hrothgar or Viera females was okay with neither being added. Yet they were added and many clamoured for them to be added.

Lore from XII emphatically does NOT prevent them from existing in XIV and Matsuno even went on record stating it was not his decision to see them excluded. In fact, he seems quite enthusiastic about the idea of seeing them realised in a game.