Concerns About Political Neutrality in the Development Team.

[Zoreth]

Are you one of those people who think that empathy and kindness are "political activism" that's being forced on you? Skill issue.

What you consider 'empathy' and 'kindness' might not be seen the same way by everyone.

[Gurgeh]

For the sake of representing all takes, mine is that I honestly don't give a @$%# how extreme the political stance is of the dev team, as long as I don't have to encounter it playing the game in a way that breaks the fourth wall by being out of context to the games geopolitics or that in any other way spoils immersion, or on a genuinely official game channel. Same goes for creators, except they are welcome in that I'm not paying, and I just switch off if I have even the slightest of inclinations. (I'd better not be seeing furry rights for pre-scooler's coming to 8.0 as the backdrop for why the Ascians have been driven to stick around...)

I do think however, that it is worth being sensitive to the particular damage that virtue signalling does to games, and also to individuals temperaments. The best work often comes from those who love and 'enjoy' their job. This is not the same thing as being 'passionate' about stuff that has nothing to do with your job, and bringing that into the office. For example, is someone a 'fun' person, and do they bring that to their art? Or are they a miserable, miserly, cantankerous so and so, who is more than a little stuffy and up themselves, and is unable to bring a sense of the full gamut of emotions in reasonable balance, including "letting their hair down" into the art they produce.

[SalamanderIX]

Except it was outside of work, you're talking about social media posts.
Or do you just not like people with views you don't like being involved in your game?

[Zoreth]

Except it was outside of work, you're talking about social media posts.
Or do you just not like people with views you don't like being involved in your game?

I’m not trying to restrict anyone’s free speech. I’m just sharing my view that certain opinions, especially from someone in an official role, might be better kept private to maintain a welcoming community

[SalamanderIX]

I understand it's upsetting, I don't agree with her views either.
At the same time, i'll leave square's PR to them. We are deep in, while new players aren't exactly being introduced to the game from a translator's bluesky retweets.

[velkettin]

certain opinions

still aggressively refusing to say what he means with his full chest lol
reminder, the opinion that prompted this was "white nationalism is bad."

[Gurgeh]

Except it was outside of work, you're talking about social media posts.
Or do you just not like people with views you don't like being involved in your game?

You you really want me to have said something I haven't. I've already answered your question. I don't care. So lets try plane speak for those that can't abstract.
Kate is really welcome to say whatever she wants on bluesky as far as I'm concerned.
That's not to say if other people are upset that doesn't matter more, I actually think it might do, which is the OPs point really.
She is welcome to say she works for SE in the same sentence as far as I'm concerned. Justas long as she doesn't do it on a official FF channel I might be subscribed to for FF news.

Well before I knew a Kate was a thing, I thought the localisation had lost a lot of its charm. Now that may have nothing to do with Kate's translation, she may have no power over what talent, or lack of, is hired in to support her.

There, you don't need to re-read my post.

Or maybe you were talking to OP. In which case, try to ignore me.
In fact ignore me anyway. The less this subject matters the better.

[Catwho]

I think you may be misunderstanding me. I don’t have an issue with people existing or being different — that’s not what I’m saying. My concern is about how very public political activism from staff can create division in the community and make players question the neutrality of the game. That’s a very different issue.

The only division I see is from chronically online people getting upset about an employee having a personal social media account and saying something they interpreted as a personal attack, when it was a call to vote out fascists.

[Bryson]

I believe it is very important that the development team behind FFXIV remains politically neutral. While everyone is entitled to their personal opinions outside of work, I feel that employees who are outspoken political activists can cause unnecessary tension within the community and raise doubts about whether personal agendas might influence the game’s story or presentation.

FFXIV has always been a place where people from all kinds of backgrounds can come together and enjoy the game without real-world politics being pushed onto them. I hope Square Enix continues to prioritize hiring and promoting staff who can separate personal activism from professional responsibilities, so the game can remain a welcoming environment for all players.

I believe freedom of speech.. and if that speech bothers SE, they are within their rights to let go of that employee.
If Kate retweeting someone raising awareness about fascism and christian nationalism bothers you, that's self-report.

[Zoreth]

still aggressively refusing to say what he means with his full chest lol
reminder, the opinion that prompted this was "white nationalism is bad."

This is not correct. Im actually talking about the post that wants to purge other political views. I do not defend "white nationalism". So you can stop trying to put me in that box.