You can't "lock" something that doesn't exist.

[Sated]

Locking things that don't exist is possible and does happen. First example pops to mind is Overwatch's Twitch has "locked" emotes that haven't even been revealed (or probably even created) yet as rewards. To debate the terminology, logistics, and ethics of it is just a derailing tactic to try and squash the interest a lot of players have in playing male viera and female hrothgar.

Ultimately it boils down to SE looking at the feedback from players and determining if the interest matches the development time it will take to fulfill the request, as with anything else.

[Penthea]

To debate the terminology, logistics, and ethics of it is just a derailing tactic to try and squash the interest a lot of players have in playing male viera and female hrothgar.

Whatever way anyone tries to spin it, it doesn't change that there is something standard (being able to play both genders of a race) that players want but cannot have, and it's causing controversy. And that's the actual issue. Not the semantics over what can be argued as lock and so on.

Ultimately it boils down to SE looking at the feedback from players and determining if the interest matches the development time it will take to fulfill the request, as with anything else.

If SE do a good job on the in-game portrayal of viera and hrothgar, from a cosmetic and lore point of view, it will only increase the demand for the missing genders. Especially with viera. Long time fans of the Final Fantasy series have been curious about them for a super long time. Easily over a decade in some cases.