Final Fantasy XIV Devs Change Sage Job Icon after Reports of Trypophobia

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Image: Square Enix

Changes have been made to the Sage job icon in the upcoming FFXIV: Endwalker expansion after its developers received complaints from players experiencing trypophobia, a rare condition not yet recognized by medical science. This is an aversion to seeing clustered holes, usually involving living matter, which triggers discomfort including nausea and itchy skin. The holes in the icon for the Sage Job have now been dropped in favor of a design based on the four nouliths that form the Sage’s armament.

Image: Square Enix

When we released new details for sage and reaper on the special site, we also included their icons, not thinking that they were particularly big reveals. However, we soon received feedback from players all over the world, who told us that the sage icon made them uncomfortable or fearful. This aversion is known as trypophobia, and those who have it feel disgust and fear when they see clusters of small holes or bumps. The severity of the reaction varies between people, and what triggers it in some may not do so in others.

Sources: Square Enix (via PC Gamer), Popular Science

Peter Brosdahl
As a child of the 70’s I was part of the many who became enthralled by the video arcade invasion of the 1980’s. Saving money from various odd jobs I purchased my first computer from a friend of my dad, a used Atari 400, around 1982. Eventually it would end up being a lifelong passion of upgrading and modifying equipment that, of course, led into a career in IT support.

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