Final Fantasy fans are arguing over the redesigned moogles in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.
Moogles are, of course, the adorable little white flying creatures that are regulars in the series, with each game having a slightly tweaked design.
In Rebirth, though, they’re quite different: elongated bodies, round eyes, and… teeth.
Fans have been horrified and the memes are everywhere.
This meme, for instance, has dubbed the new lead moogle as Miguel with a nefarious past.
Japanese players described the new moogle design as a catfish.
Others have suggested the Rebirth moogle looks like Matthew McConaughey, of all people. It must be the teeth.
The discourse has reached such a peak that even Square Enix itself has stepped in. “We love all of our moogles and will not stand for this, kupo!” reads a post from the publisher on social media platform X.
So where did this redesign come from? It actually featured back in Final Fantasy 7 Remake as part of the Chocobo Moogle summon.
Plus there’s Yuffie’s poncho and this little kid from the slums.
The redesign was also in prequel remaster Crisis Core Final Fantasy 7 Reunion, likely to match the style of Remake.
Personally I quite like the new moogle design. It may not have the big nose and narrowed eyes of the classic design, but this moogle is still a fuzzy little guy I’d gladly give a hug to.
The redesign has got fans debating their favourites though. Many have pointed to Nektar, the moogle in last year’s Final Fantasy 16. Others prefer the moogle design from Kingdom Hearts.
Which moogle design do you prefer?
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was released last week – it’s overstuffed but a lovable and playful reimagining of a classic as I wrote in our review.