Granblue Fantasy Relink fans are in an uproar due to censorship in the Western release. This censorship comes in the form of model changes to several beloved characters that differ between the original Japanese release and the version currently available on Steam and other platforms in Europe and the US.
But what exactly are these changes, and why are fans so upset? We have the answers.
All censorship changes in Granblue Fantasy Relink
Most censorship in Granblue Fantasy Relink’s Western release is down to model changes that make female characters less sexualized. For characters like Zeta, Djeeta, Ferry, and Cagliostro, the designers replaced their underwear—which was visible during certain sequences—with shorts instead. In more “extreme” cases, characters like Narmaya were given entirely new outfits to hide even more skin.
These changes led to pandemonium on the game’s Steam forums and even made some fans refuse to buy the game, despite all the changes being cosmetic only and not affecting the gameplay or story in any way.
Most arguments stem from fans feeling the changes are unnecessary, but censorship like this is fairly common when it comes to Japanese games being ported to the West. Even fighting games like Street Fighter are no exception, but then again, that isn’t too surprising for characters like Cammy in Street Fighter V.
Above all, while there’s a small amount of censorship in the Western release of Granblue Fantasy Relink, it doesn’t change anything about the game. If you’re part of the small minority who strongly oppose the changes, perhaps you can find a way to mod the game, or import the Japanese version from abroad, to get the “full” experience.
