Final Fantasy 14 is encouraging Japanese players to donate their taxes for in-game rewards. Anyone who lives in Japan and plays Final Fantasy 14 can net themselves in-game costumes or a shiba inu mount if they donate a certain amount of tax money.
Video games nowadays love to keep engagement up by offering players unique in-game items. Paid microtransactions, like skins in Fortnite, are common, but there are also freebies from limited-time events or battle passes. Donating a portion of your own taxes might be the oddest example yet, but that is exactly what Final Fantasy 14 players in Japan are being encouraged to do.
For the record, this does not appear to be a scheme by Square Enix, but rather the ward of Shibuya in Tokyo. In Japan, there is a hometown tax where citizens can donate a portion of their taxes directly to a municipality, even if it is not their hometown. Municipalities offer rewards as incentives for donations.
In this case, Shibuya ward is offering in-game items for Final Fantasy 14 that players would otherwise need to buy. For example, three character costumes require a donation of 7,000 yen (about £33) each, while the shiba inu mount can be acquired for 9,000 yen (about £42). There is also a dance emote for 11,000 yen (about £52) and a pack of five Fantasia potions for 17,000 yen (about £80).
Those prices are high compared to the Final Fantasy 14 store, where those costumes are only £11.16 each, the shiba inu mount is £13.80, emotes cost £1.15 to £4.20, and five Fantasia potions are £28.75. Anyone who just wants these items can save money by purchasing them directly rather than through the donation scheme. Donors are likely motivated by supporting Shibuya ward rather than the items themselves.
All this is done with Square Enix's permission. The company could have offered exclusive items to encourage donations, but that might risk backlash from players. A statement from Square Enix via Famitsu reads: 'Final Fantasy 14 has deepened its ties with the local community through events held in Shibuya and other activities. Moving forward, we will continue to undertake various initiatives based in Shibuya, leveraging the characteristics of Shibuya as a hub of diverse cultures.'
Square Enix's headquarters are in Shinjuku, but it has a Shibuya office and a merchandise store called Square Enix Garden. Final Fantasy 14 also stands to see an influx of new players as the game launches for Nintendo Switch 2 in August, marking its first appearance on a Nintendo platform. Square Enix recently expanded the free trial, allowing new players to experience the base game and its first three story expansions: Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers.
