Summary
Final Fantasy 14players took to the game’s forums to express their feedback on a hairstyle that will arrive with Patch 7.1 on November 12. While the hairstyle in question was inspired by a winning entry from a 2023 design contest,Final Fantasy 14players stated that it looked nothing like the entry, prompting Square Enix’s apology and clarification on the matter.
Final Fantasy 14’s Crossroads update will go live on November 12following a seven-hour maintenance window that begins on November 11 at 10:00 PM Eastern. Along with a plethora of story and group content, such as the Echoes of Vana’diel alliance raid and the Pelupelu allied society quests, Patch 7.1 will offer some quality-of-life features toFinal Fantasy 14. From the updated Hall of the Novice to updated group poses and continued work on updating various textures within the game, Crossroads is shaping up to be one of the most feature-packed updates forFinal Fantasy 14in quite some time.
As players combed throughthe preliminary 7.1 patch notes, some took to the forums to raise concerns about a hairstyle that would arrive in the Crossroads update. InaFinal Fantasy 14forum thread, players stated that a hairstyle that was inspired by a winning entry from the 2023 hairstyle design contest looks nothing like the intended design. The “Natural Curls” hairstyle was intended to feature more curls across the top and sides, while the new hairstyle was given more waves and longer strands of hair on the right side.
Square Enix Responds to Final Fantasy 14 Hairstyle Controversy
In response to the negative feedback, Square Enix apologized for the confusion and stated that, while the Natural Curls hairstyle was the original inspiration, theFinal Fantasy 14design team had trouble working with the curls. So, the team chose to implement a supplemental hairstyle called “Doing the Wave” for Patch 7.1. Square Enix added that the Natural Curls hairstyle would continue to be worked on, which prompteda reply from the hairstyle’s original artist on Bluesky.
The hairstyle controversy is not the first timeFinal Fantasy 14players have brought attention to a problem. During the first iteration oftheFall Guyscollaboration,Final Fantasy 14players shared evidence of how the game’s hit detection and animations did not always line up, which cost some of them a chance at victory.
Though it is not known how the Doing the Wavehairstyle will be obtained inFinal Fantasy 14, the response by Square Enix remained a point of contention with players. Only time will tell when the Natural Curls hairstyle will be implemented in a satisfactory state.
Final Fantasy 14
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