Why do I and others use Final Fantasy XIV for online identity? Gender identity may have something to do with it.

I have been playing the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV for what feels like ages now. For nearly 3 years straight it has been both my biggest comfort game and the game that introduced me to tons of friends that I hold dear to this day. This game has had a huge impact on me and that extends to my online identity. Since getting into this game I have replaced all my old usernames on social media with "Bisco" or some variation on it, that being the name of my FFXIV character. This extends to other people as well, I still call half of my online friends by their character names even if I know their real names and many content creators that have built their careers out of the game have used their characters and their characters' names as their social media branding.

But this obviously raises the question of "why"? Why base your entire online identity on this one thing? For my part it was partially to retain anonymity online since I am allergic to using my real name for practically anything in these spaces. Also to replace my old handle that shall not be named lest I have to talk about embarrasing memories. But there is definitely something deeper besides that. There are many theories that surround online avatars with in the gaming landscape and it has been a subject of study since games like World of Warcraft were huge. One piece of writing that caught my eye recently though was a thesis by Zu Er Guan that focuses on the use of avatars in FFXIV for player-to-player relationships.

As it is quite a long read I'll spare all the details but one particular focus that caught my eye was the focus on feminist and gender studies. It's no secret that being online in itself provides a level of anonymity and that MMORPGs are no exception. When you talk to someone in an MMO and you don't know what they look like, their player avatar becomes their face in your mind. And this avatar obviousy doesn't match their real-life appearance (sadly I do not have cute bunny ears). But this study goes on to explore the relationship between gender non-conforming players and their avatars.

"Crucially, embodying an avatar with a gender identity and expression that aligns with a player allows them to experience a world where their gender is acknowledged and recognized by the (game) world, which for most non cisgendered players is in stark contrast to reality outside of the game and is thus a medium ripe for escapism."

(Guan, 2024)

This caught my attention. The FFXIV community, while it has its problems, is largely accepting of LGBTQ+ people and many of those people may find some form of comfort in their avatars. While I myself am cisgender, I have close friends that are gender non-conforming, one of which often describes characters that she wants to look like as "gender". People online may use their FFXIV characters as their identity as a form of gender euphoria in both their outfits and general appearance. I myself, while confident in my cisgender identity, would like to dress more androgynously should time, money and society allow. Hell, oftentimes my catgirl is dressed quite masculinely and my bunny boy quite femininely.

This thesis really made me think about the online identities myself and my friends have established and also appreciate the way in which that one of my favourite games of all time has provided a means of escapism for some of my best friends. Even if the developers didn't intend for it, its nice that myself and others have a way in which we can express ourselves both in online spaces and through a gender identity lens at the same time.

Biblilography:

Guan, Z.E. (2024) Utalitarian and Self-Representational: Player-to-Player Character Relationships in Final Fantasy XIV. Thesis. Lindenwood University. Available at: https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/theses/1236/ (Accessed: 15/04/2025)

Square Enix (2013) Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn [Video Game]. Square Enix.

Blizzard Entertainment (2004) World of Warcraft [Video Game]. Blizzard Entertainment.