The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is getting a new class (“Job“) with the “Sage” in the Endwalker expansion. However, the class icon is being changed even before the release because it triggers a phobia: Trypophobia. This is a fear that some people feel when they see a pattern of holes or bubbles.
This is what Final Fantasy XIV is changing: They are changing the “class icon” of the Sage – in Final Fantasy XIV, each job has a very specific image that represents it; these are the class symbols. The Bard has a stylized lute, the Ranger has a bow, and the Dragoon has a lance.
The new class “Sage” in Final Fantasy XIV has four “Sage Tools” as its class symbol: Four staff-shaped patterns with a hole at the top.
This class symbol is now being changed: There are still four Sage Tools, but three of them no longer have a hole.
Feedback from players around the world: “Fear and Discomfort”
This is what the chief says: In the Final Fantasy XIV blog, the chief of the MMORPG, Naoki Yoshida, spoke up and explained the change:
When we released the new details about the Sage and Reaper, we also showed the icons and did not think it would be a particularly big reveal. But we quickly received feedback from players around the world who told us that the Sage’s icon triggered fear in them or made them feel uncomfortable.
Yoshida then explains: This “aversion” is known as Trypophobia, and people have a disgust or fear of “clusters of small holes or bumps.” The phobia varies in severity, and what exactly triggers the fear differs from person to person.
Yoshida thanks for the feedback; the team is changing the logo. The holes in the original symbol were intended as detail but then formed a pattern. This is now being changed.
What causes this fear? This is not yet clarified. Science believes it could be a disgust or fear response, similar to the reaction to the sight of poisonous animals like snakes or spiders.
Some researchers suspect that it is an instinct that warns humans of “dangerous organisms”: Some researchers think Trypophobia is a warning against skin and infectious diseases or against parasites.
Everything we know about Endwalker can be read here:
Final Fantasy XIV is bringing new expansion Endwalker – Release date and all info
