University of Colorado Boulder

Empowering Expression: Modding Practices in Final Fantasy XIV: Online

Empowering Expression: Modding Practices in Final Fantasy SID COOK, University of Colorado Boulder, USA BRYAN SEMAAN, University of Colorado Boulder, USA Media, such as film, literature, and video games, center around white, cisheterosexual logics and contribute toward the marginalization of the multiplicity of identities and…

• Players use modding in Final Fantasy XIV as a form of 'critical infrastructuring' to bypass limitations in the base game's character creator, specifically to improve representation for marginalized identities regarding race, gender, and body type.
• Modding serves as a tool for empowerment by allowing players to exert agency over their digital avatars, enabling them to correct issues like lighting inaccuracies for melanated skin tones or to create more androgynous character features.
• The study, based on 15 interviewed players who utilize diverse mod sets, identifies modding as a reflexive practice that facilitates identity work, personal expression, and community connection.