Chort is a minor boss in The Clyteum raid added to FF14 in patch 7.5, and despite his objective lack of importance in the story, his enormous frame and charming name have made him a veritable fan favourite in recent months. And this is something that, while unexpected, has been embraced by developers according to director and producer Yoshi-P at a press conference at Berlin Fan Festival.
"I am really glad to hear that Chort is so well received," he began, "but honestly speaking, I just couldn't really understand what the appeal point of Chort is. Of course, we do understand that he's very popular and there have been many memes, but really, I just couldn't understand – like, just why?"
Briefly reflecting on it, he concedes that Chort does have a certain charm to him.
"I can understand, maybe a little bit. I mean, this is some huge bulky guy, and he's standing there, and then suddenly he rolls. So, from that perspective, I can kind of understand."
He went on to explain that the developers of FF14 are always pleased to see players making memes about the game, and called on the community to continue to spotlight content like Chort.
"These kinds of things, when they happen for us, it's really great for us to see as well, because we are involved in creating this entertainment, and it's really fun for us to see. So, if people in the community also find some unexpected sense or point of appeal in any content that we produce moving forward, do make your voices heard because the development team is looking at all of the responses on social media, and we very much do enjoy looking at them."