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Final Fantasy 15 will indeed include the beloved Moogle, one of the series’ cuddliest mascots, after a legion of fans voted in favor of their last-minute inclusion. Square Enix revealed in the video above just how these characters will be implemented in the game, however, and it may just make those same fans reconsider their party lines.

Unlike other Final Fantasy entries where Moogles serve as dispensaries of items and information kept out of harm’s way, Prince Noctis and his bros bring the creatures straight into battle. Dolls crafted in the Moogle’s image are included in the boys’ arsenal, and they can be thrown at enemies mid-battle to cause a distraction. That means that, instead of Noctis’ pretty face getting torn apart, a Moogle can suffer the consequences of upsetting a monster in his place.

Even if these are dolls, that sounds like a pretty painful experience for the peaceful Moogle. The diversion — and abuse — continues until the Moogle decoy has been completely destroyed, Square Enix mentions during the gameplay footage; enemies who are unaffected by the cuteness of the characters will continue to attack the party, which of course now includes the poor Moogle.

Last November, director Hajime Tabata tweeted that Square Enix hadn’t found a place for the beloved characters in the game. He offered an ultimatum: Final Fantasy players could prove that Moogles were worth adding to the game, or the characters would likely sit Final Fantasy 15 out.


More than 20,000 votes were cast, with 78 percent of users arguing in favor for the Moogles to appear.

Tabata’s tweet seems to have been a tease in hindsight, as now Square Enix is celebrating all things Moogle in the lead-up to Final Fantasy 15’s November debut. As the Final Fantasy Twitter accounts rack up followers, the company unlocks Moogle-themed rewards and giveaways for fans, like Twitter headers and wallpapers. The new gameplay video marks the latest such "treat."

That’s all well and good, but it doesn’t quite make up for the fact that Moogles have been relegated to literal playthings, meant to be ripped limb from limb for the sake of the human cast. Perhaps Moogle lovers are just happy to see the characters in the game in any fashion ... but the YouTube comments suggest otherwise.

As YouTube user I Sexually Identifiy as an Alpha Krab wrote, "This is Moogle abuse. I will not stand by these atrocious acts."

Final Fantasy 15 is out on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on Nov. 29, after several years in development and a late-stage delay. We recently played through the first five hours and found the game to surpass our tempered expectations.

Source: Polygon