‘Final Fantasy’ players hold online funeral for player who died of COVID-19

Losing someone and dealing with grief is never easy, doing so during a lockdown as a result of COVID –19 is even more difficult.

In early April a small but tight-knit community in Final Fantasy XIV, sadly lost a friend. The community hadn’t met Ferne Le’roy in person and due to the lockdown they couldn’t attend the funeral. So they did something incredible and honoured her in the one place they could all meet: Final Fantasy XIV. 

One of the organisers, Leafelda Moonchild, told Inverse that they didn’t expect anyone to turn up for the gathering they had organised and shared. But according to reports, hundreds of other players arrived with their digital avatars, all wearing black clothes and holding umbrellas. Together, they joined a procession in a touching tribute that was then shared on social media. 

Lasting for close to an hour, the precession marched across the open world, ending at a picturesque tree for a final, and fitting tribute. It was beautiful and truly shows the community spirit of gamers, helping each other during one of the most difficult times we could all face. 

If you or someone you know has lost someone, you can check out our page on bereavement HERE. If you are looking for more information during the COVID-19 Pandemic, you can check out our COVID-19 Hub HERE. The hub provides information such as coping techniques, government policies, things you can do during the lockdown and more.