FINAL FANTASY XIV ONLINE-THEMED SYDNEY
GAY & LESBIAN MARDI GRAS PARADE FLOAT REVEALED
A Moogle, Cactuar and Cherry Bomb
The first images of the successful collaboration with Sydney Gaymers that saw FINAL FANTASY® XIV Online become the first video game to march as part of a float in Sydney’s Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade on Saturday 2nd March are now being unveiled.
The float, which made its debut during the 2019 Parade Night, saw inflatables of a Moogle, Cactuar and Cherry Bomb take center stage while 80 marchers made up from members of both the FINAL FANTASY XIV Online and Sydney Gaymers’ communities celebrated around it under the banner “Realms United”.
The collaboration was first announced in February 2019, and marks the coming together of Australia’s 2,600-strong Sydney Gaymer community with the critically-acclaimed MMO. The following quotes were offered at the time:
“Sydney Gaymers is thrilled to be collaborating with FINAL FANTASY XIV Online for its 2019 float entry, titled Realms United. It means so much to receive direct support, validation and acknowledgement from such a force in the industry. Not only that, to be supported by a game where so much of our community and values are represented. The FINAL FANTASY XIV Online community does not discriminate and respects everyone’s freedom and their individual values equally. For many LGBTQI+ people, online communities provide a space for the journey and exploration of personal identities They allow us to connect, and celebrate, and they reinforce that we are not alone. Sydney Gaymers could not have a better sponsor to help create the most ambitious float it has ever undertaken.”
– Organiser for Sydney Gaymers, Peak Distapan
“This collaboration could never have been realised without the efforts of our community. When FFXIV took part in PAX Australia, it was the FFXIV players in Australia who offered us the greatest welcome and utmost support. This led on to our community and Sydney Gaymers working together to make the collaboration a reality. To see it makes me very happy indeed, both as the person in charge of FFXIV and also as just another player of the game. FFXIV is another world that continues to grow and expand online. In that world people become adventurers, known as the Warriors of Light, and can continue to be free. I would like to continue developing this world, hand in hand with communities across the globe.”
– FINAL FANTASY XIV Online Producer and Director, Naoki Yoshida
Now in its 41st year, the is an annual two-week long festival to celSydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Grasebrate the power and diversity of the LGBTQI+ community, culminating in a parade through central Sydney, Australia. The bustling extravaganza brings Sydney to a standstill and shines a global spotlight on LGBTQI+ lives, culture, communities and creativity. Sydney Gaymers entered its fifth year participating in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras Parade in 2019.
For more information on Sydney Gay & Lesbian Mardi Gras, please visit: https://www.mardigras.org.au/
Related Links
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Shadowbringers Teaser Site: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com/shadowbringers/
The Lodestone®: https://eu.finalfantasyxiv.com
Official Facebook®: https://www.facebook.com/FinalFantasyXIV
Official Twitter®: @FF_XIV_EN
About Sydney Gaymers
Sydney Gaymers has been around since 2012 when a couple of people on a small online community decided to have a meetup in Sydney. Since then, Sydney Gaymers has grown into a vibrant community of over 2.6k members. The goal of the group has always been to create a safe space, both online and offline for LGBTQI+ people to embrace their love of gaming and all things geeky. The primary focus of the group’s organisers is running and facilitating community events and regular meetups. Several of these events are run each month, ranging from trivia and board game events, to gaming themed bar meetups and geeky dance parties. The group also comes together on the Facebook community discussion page and the offical Australian Gaymers Discord, creating an online space for its members to share and discuss.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 144 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 78 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 74 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly-owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
More information on Square Enix Ltd. can be found at https://eu.square-enix.com/en
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LOGO ILLUSTRATION: ©2010 YOSHITAKA AMANO
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