Final Fantasy VII Rebirth swimsuits were censored over "ethics" by Square-Enix
A newly translated art book quote has a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth character artist confirming the beach outfits were drawn to not “overly emphasize” the characters’ figures, following “ethical guidelines and internal feedback.”
A character artist on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth has confirmed, in the game’s official art book, that the cast’s swimsuits were deliberately designed to be less revealing, following internal guidelines.
The comments come from Roberto Ferrari, a character designer on the game, in the English edition of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Material Ultimania. They were spotted and translated by an artist on X and quickly spread through the fanbase, reviving a debate that first flared at the game’s 2024 launch.
What the artist actually said
Ferrari’s comments are about the beach section at Costa del Sol, and they’re matter-of-fact.
On the group’s swimwear, he said the outfits “were drawn in ways that didn’t overly emphasize their figures,” and that “this was done in accordance with ethical guidelines and internal feedback.”
On Aerith‘s Pink Mermaid costume specifically, he said it “was drawn in response to a request to conceal her feminine curves as much as possible.”
He also referenced ethical guidelines when discussing Cloud’s design. So the confirmation is real: the beachwear was intentionally toned down, and it was done to follow internal ethics standards, not left to the artists’ unguided preference.
![r/KotakuInAction - [Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth] Square Enix staff admits that the swimsuit designs were created with censorship in mind.](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KXAo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4af659d6-a7a6-42e4-b9f3-2869952f154c_2155x5010.jpeg "r/KotakuInAction - [Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth] Square Enix staff admits that the swimsuit designs were created with censorship in mind.")
Why this is resurfacing now
The debate isn’t new, which is part of why it caught fire again.
When Rebirth launched in February 2024, eagle-eyed players noticed that Tifa‘s swimsuit and a flashback outfit had been toned down compared to earlier appearances and pre-release footage, changes Square Enix never announced.
At the time, the company didn’t explain them, and fans speculated about regional compliance laws or internal ethics review. The Ferrari quotes are the closest thing to an on-record confirmation that the toning-down was deliberate, which is why they reignited the whole conversation two years later.
The debate the quote reopens
The reaction splits along a familiar line, and both sides have a coherent position.
One camp sees this as unwelcome self-censorship, a studio walking back sex appeal that fans of the characters expected, and doing it quietly. To them, a design “request to conceal her feminine curves” is a company sanding the personality off its own characters to avoid controversy.
The other camp points out that this is the artists and the studio making design choices about their own work, which is what studios do, and that “drawn to not overemphasize their figures” is a stylistic call, not an outside mandate.
Square Enix’s team did deliberately design the outfits to be less revealing, and an artist confirmed it followed internal guidelines.
But the book stops short of the “Ethics Department forced it.”
What’s confirmed is a design choice. Everything past that is the internet doing what it always does with a Tifa swimsuit.
Article compiled and edited by Derek Gibbs (entertainment editor) and the Clownfish TV newsroom.
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Hat Tips:
Niche Gamer (July 2026), verified for Roberto Ferrari’s full quotes (”didn’t overly emphasize their figures,” “in accordance with ethical guidelines and internal feedback,” and the Aerith “conceal her feminine curves as much as possible” request), the English Material Ultimania as the source, the @MegaPhilX translation, and the crucial clarification that Ferrari’s comment does not name the Ethics Department, identify the approver, or use the word “censorship”
Dot Esports (2024), verified for the launch-window changes to Tifa’s swimsuit and flashback outfit after the day-one update, Square Enix not officially commenting at the time, and the regional-compliance speculation
We Game Daily (2024), verified for the fan discovery of the toned-down outfits, the lack of pre-announcement, and the split fan reaction