I think the concept of cheerleaders are there but actual cheerleaders are not. It says in the text of the wind up cheerleader that they were created for use in the wolves den.
Basically they gave a lore reason for all cheering you hear in The Feast. Its not actual people cheering but dozens of these wind up cheerleaders that the Maelstrom created.

They even explained the Culling Time, its basically these wind up cheerleaders defecting and acting like Limsa Pirates booing.