Final Fantasy 14 players protest new $12 cosmetic by proving you can make a near-identical version for free

Beloved MMO Final Fantasy 14 has been relatively controversy-free, which is somewhat unusual for a game that’s been around and active for 13 years. Square Enix has now tested the waters and fallen in deep with a new paid cosmetic that hasn't gone down well with players.

Square Enix announced the Iceheart’s Attire on Twitter yesterday. As you can see below, the cosmetic recreates a costume worn by Ysale (aka Lady Iceheart), a major character in the game’s Heavensward expansion. The cosmetic is nothing new for Final Fantasy 14. The developer/publisher has previously released gear based on fan-favourite characters for the price of a few quid (or bucks, if you’re across the pond.)

ffxiv from r/ffxiv

The difference with the Iceheart’s Attire, however, is that you can essentially recreate the outfit in-game. For free. At no additional cost. The discovery was made by Redditor Inksrocket who said “Thanks but I’m fine with my craftable, dyeable robe.” The Reddit post also has a split image showing the player’s custom version (left) and Square Enix’s paid outfit (right). While Square’s paid version has a few extra bells and whistles - such as the more prominent hip accessories - I wouldn’t say the differences make up for the price discrepancy. 

Twitter user Alexia 7.0 (spotted by our friends at PCGamer) posted all the items you need to remake Iceheart’s fit - or the closest thing to Iceheart’s fit - yourself. All you need are some basic items that can be obtained early on in the MMO. Most players were inevitably not fans of the microtransaction. “Complete waste of money,” one Redditor remarked. A few others mentioned that if Squeenix had included the character’s hairstyle, the cosmetic might have been worth it: “No hair? No deal.”

That’s a rare loss for the long-running MMO which normally goes from strength to strength - wonky cosmetics aside. The game’s free trial was recently expanded even further ahead of a substantial 6.5 patch - making that copypasta meme even funnier. After that point, Final Fantasy 14’s next expansion called Dawntrail kickstarts another 10-year-long narrative. And then, at some point next year, the smash hit will finally come out on Xbox consoles. 

For now, check out all the new jobs coming in Final Fantasy 14’s 7.0 patch.