Recently, Michael Hall, a doctoral candidate in the Comparative Literature and Cultural Studies Program, was invited to present his work exploring representation in gaming, “Dawnbreaker, the Curious Case of Decolonialism and Colonialism in Final Fantasy XIV, Dawntrail,” at the Popular Culture Association National Conference.

This new expansion for Final Fantasy XIV takes place in what is very clearly the Americas. While the story decenters on the individual, putting more focus on community and tradition, it also puts conquistador armor in the Native American expansion.

“Gaming has an issue with representation of non-Western cultures, and it’s good to point that out through a critical lens,” Hall said. “Representation can be done, both poorly and well.”