As Final Fantasy 14 shows off upgraded characters graphics, Yoshi-P acknowledges the MMO has been "bad" at displaying darker skin

Final Fantasy 14 devs have previewed its upcoming graphical update, and expressed regret over the lighting of dark-skinned characters.

This past weekend saw the Tokyo iteration of Final Fantasy 14's FanFest, and game director Naoki Yoshida was on hand to preview upcoming additions for the MMO. In particular, Yoshida talked up the long-awaited graphical update, set to arrive in Final Fantasy 14 for PC and PS5 players later this year in summer 2024 alongside the Dawntrail expansion.

Just below, you can see snapshots taken from the FanFest which show 'before' and 'after' shots of upgraded character models. The likes of the Elezen, Highlander, Lalafell, Au Ra, and other in-game races all look like they've had a serious overhaul with the new graphical upgrade, making Final Fantasy 14's characters effectively look better than ever before.

All Races updated faces in graphical update from r/ffxiv

According to Nova Crystallis though, which was live-tweeting the showcase with the graphical update, game director Naoki Yoshida acknowledged criticisms of Final Fantasy 14's dark-skinned characters. Yoshida even said the MMO had been "bad" at displaying "dark-skinned" characters in certain lighting conditions in the past, and pledged to rectify this with the upcoming big overhaul.

Now, Final Fantasy 14 players far and wide are reacting to the upgrade, as well as Yoshida's statement. The player just below really "wasn't expecting" Yoshida to openly acknowledge the criticism of the MMO's dark-skinned characters, but says it was nonetheless a welcome sentiment.

Elsewhere, former GameSpot editor and Kinda Funny host Michael Higham writes that he's "glad" Square Enix listened to the criticism, and seem to be taking it seriously. However, Higham wants to see what the upgraded and rectified character models look like throughout the entire MMO before passing broad judgment on Square Enix's commitment.

Over on the game's subreddit, the general update preview seems to have gone down well. "Finally, shadows. The texture reworks look nice, but 90% of the work is done by having actual shadows on the faces, 10/10 upgrade," writes one commenter. "The engine and lighting being able to better-support WoLs with darker skin tones is one of the things I'm most hyped for," another adds.

Elsewhere among the MMO's community, Final Fantasy 14 players are obsessing over the Pictomancer, Dawntrail's brand new job, armed with little more than a paintbrush. It's the fact that the class can paint things into reality, though, which has inspired some especially unhinged reactions.

While you wait for Dawntrail to drop, check out our best MMORPGs guide for a look at the best time sinks around.