A Final Fantasy 14 fan recently discovered a reference to the critically-acclaimed MMORPG in an international politics textbook. This subtle reference proves Final Fantasy 14’s cultural impact is far-reaching enough to be found in classroom material.Final Fantasy 14 fan and Twitter user Javier was the player who discovered the reference while doing work for his international politics class. The reference itself was found in Chapter 6 of Essentials of International Relations 9th Edition–a highly-rated political science textbook published in 2021 and used in classrooms globally. Several sections of this textbook have quiz questions to check student understanding. One such question pertaining to war and security asks the reader to identify the principle of just war being upheld by an example conflict. However, the two fictitious countries identified in the question are Ishgard and Gridania–two major nations from Final Fantasy 14.
It is no coincidence these two nations appeared in this book together. Ishgard and Gridania are geographical neighbors in the world of Final Fantasy 14. While the two nations have rarely warred with one another, they were historical rivals for a long time. That these two nations appeared together in this textbook proves at least one of the writers or editors not only plays Final Fantasy 14 but has a working knowledge of the game’s lore.
Javier’s fellow Final Fantasy 14 fans were floored at the reference in his textbook. Some fans debated whether the authors could get in trouble for copyright infringement, while others discussed the context of the question as it would appear in Final Fantasy 14. A few politically-minded players even offered their guesses as to the right answer for the quiz question. Javier will be keeping a keen eye out for other references in the textbook as he continues his studies.
Luckily, Isghard and Gridania are unlikely to go to war in Final Fantasy 14 any time soon. After the events of Heavensward, Ishgard joined forces with Gridaina along with the rest of the major factions of Eorzea. Final Fantasy 14 players can even buy houses in the new Empyreum district of Isghard, which was rebuilt through the efforts of the community.
Final Fantasy 14 is currently selling tickets for its first in-person Fan Fest in several years. Players can expect Final Fantasy 14 to announce its next expansion at the first event in July. If the critically-acclaimed MMORPG continues to grow in popularity, players might start finding even more references to Final Fantasy 14 in places where they least expect it.
Final Fantasy 14 is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.