Final Fantasy Record Keeper, Square Enix's longest-lived Final Fantasy-themed gacha title, will be ending service for its global client on September 29, 2022. In an announcement posted in-game, the team shares that they are "incredibly thankful to have enjoyeed the support of so many of you over the almost seven and a half years.. We make this announcement with a heavy heart, but hope you will be left with fond memories of adventure once the journey comes to an end. Developed in partnership with DeNa, Record Keeper puts you in the titular role, delving through "records" of key moments in the Final Fantasy franchise history. In doing so, the Record Keeper can recruit various characters from many titles, all represented by a unified 2D pixel aesthetic similar to Final Fantasy VI. Combat sequences were built on an Active Time Battle system, with abilities that could be deployed with a button press. As the game approaches the end of service, it will no longer sell its premium currency called "Gems" as of August 30, but any Gems you've purchased previously will be retained until the official end of service on September 29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pbAOQrH7MHM

Last week, Square Enix announced Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion, a “high-quality remaster” that liberates the 15-year old prequel from the PlayStation Portable and brings it to modern platforms. The game was originally part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII multimedia project that sought to expand the universe of the original PlayStation game into console games, mobile games, anime, and CG film. Crisis Core features Zack Fair and his rise through the ranks of SOLDIER, a corporate military force that is given supernatural strength by imbuing their bodies with mako stolen from the planet which it uses to sustain all life. With that strength, the Shinra corporation uses it to wage war against its enemies as it seeks to expand and exploit any mako-rich resource it can find to power its central nervous system in Midgar. As they wage these wars, “heroes” emerge — manufactured in more ways than one. Zack befriends its most elite members but finds himself entangled in their struggles. As he seeks to join their ranks, he learns there is a steep price to pay for power. A minor character in the original game, Zack’s story is heavily intertwined with its main character — Cloud Strife,

A new salvo of Final Fantasy XVI interviews have bestowed new details about the 2023 action-RPG set to release on PlayStation 5. Featured is the game's producer Naoki Yoshida, who is also the producer and director of the franchise's latest MMORPG: Final Fantasy XIV. As the latest numbered entry, Yoshida says he faced a lot of pressure taking on two Final Fantasy projects simultaneously, insisting to upper management that he would only take it on if he limited himself to a producer role rather than serving in two roles as he does on FFXIV. There's also a lot of pressure in deciding the next destination for Final Fantasy, a series that has changed in myriad ways over its 35-year history, so much so that change is part of the tradition. However, Yoshida's role here is more keeping things on the rails rather than participating in the day to day creative decisions. The division Yoshida now helms, Creative Business Unit III, houses a lot of developers have a soft spot for the earlier titles in the series and their more medieval high-fantasy settings, and it was that affinity that lead them to create FFXVI's setting as you see it, rather than a modern

Collected below are the latest events from Square Enix’s repertoire of service games, including limited time campaigns and content updates. Check out what’s new this week! Babylon's Fall 5/31 — 11/29: Season 2 - The Light of Aaru5/31 — 7/11: New items have been added to the Garaz Shop. The shop inventory has been expanded with exciting new gear to decorate your Sentinel, such as the refined beauty of the Crystal Attire Pack and the Gigant Gallu Attire that lets you dress up just like a Gigant Gallu! Chocobo GP Chocobo GP patch (Ver.1.1.0) is now live, featuring updates for the upcoming Season 2! Prize level rewards for Prize Pass holders will also be available for purchase at the Ticket Shop from Season 2 onwards in #ChocoboGP! Any Gil you earn during a season will be carried over into the next season too. Some rascals from the Chocobo series are making their way into #ChocoboGP! Chip from Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon series and the Kwackeys from #FinalFantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Dungeon have joined the race in Season 2. Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia Edge's Intersecting Wills: Blade for the Heart brings a new Story Draw to #DissidiaFFOO! This Draw features Edge's NEW LD weapon "Kotetsu (IV)" and weapons for

Welcome back to whatever this is. Last week, we banded together as I rambled for several pages over Final Fantasy XVI's lead development team and then turned an eye toward what we've seen of the game's world — the vast, dual-continent landmass called Valisthea. We all had lots of fun, which is why you've clicked on this week's article, and why I didn't flake on writing it. Our focus now shifts toward a more thorough look at the recent State of Play trailer that inspired all this discourse in the first place. But it isn't enough to just look at the thing in totality; there's a heavy enough mixture of cutscenes and gameplay stuffed into those three-odd minutes to warrant separate glances. We'll talk more about the gameplay side of the equation next week, except as it constitutes the story, characters, and societies of Valisthea — because those are our focal points for today. Benedikta? I Hardly Know Her I'd like to begin by giving some attention to a pair of pivotal characters whose identities have only just been revealed to us. There's Benedikta Harman, a woman who was technically introduced in 2020's announcement trailer but lacked a name at the time, and

The next Letter from the Producer Live covering all things Final Fantasy XIV is scheduled for July 1, Square Enix announced today. The upcoming broadcast, which will be available to watch starting from 4AM PDT/7AM EDT, will be available across YouTube, Twitch and Niconico services. The presentation will cover the first look at the upcoming Patch 6.2 content - where players can expect new story developments within the main scenario, the next tier in the 8-man Pandaemonium raid and more. The stream also promises other miscellaneous updates and will be shown with Japanese audio only. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrAcEgavJvw

Square Enix showed off another look at upcoming mobile title Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis during their 25th anniversary broadcast today. The trailer features a deeper runthrough of the various games that will be making it into this release. The game features a chapter-structured single player experience along with new story elements penned by original series author Kazushige Nojima covering the origins of SOLDIER and the original stories of the Final Fantasy VII compilation. Additionally, a closed beta test will be coming some time later this year. English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qsZLMXm5-0 Japanese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmYbllYZ-8Y

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will be the second title in a trilogy of games dubbed the Final Fantasy VII remake project. The follow-up to 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake, Rebirth will continue "the Unknown Journey" proclaimed in the first game's credits. It will release in Winter 2023/2024 for PlayStation 5; no other platforms have been revealed at this time. In the "First Look" trailer below, we see Cloud and Sephiroth travelling through the wilderness presumably close to Nibelheim, Cloud's hometown. In the narration, we hear several characters recounting the the events of the original 1997 title a bit... differently. Official statements from the team have also been shared: Tetsuya Nomura (Creative Director) "As revealed on the broadcast, there are currently four Final Fantasy VII projects being developed in parallel. Although each of the four titles plays a different role, they are all connected through the high-quality depictions of Final Fantasy VII's world and characters. As someone who was involved with the development of each and everyone of the original titles, I deeply understand the vision and thoughts behind each project, and I am actively involved in the development process for all four titles. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is being designed so that people can enjoy

Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII is being revived for a new generation with the announcement of Crisis Core Final Fantasy VII Reunion for multiple platforms. Coming from the original PSP version, this is a true remaster that follows the story of Zack Fair on his mission to find the missing SOLDIER Genesis. The game is scheduled to launch this Winter for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PC and Nintendo Switch. Square Enix showed off a trailer alongside the announcement, detailing the game's upgraded visuals including new character models, environment textures and revamped menu details. Both Japanese and English versions of the trailer can be watched below, along with the first direct feed screenshots. Japanese https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnIJhOcCQKI English https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjXBCaZexK4 Screenshots

Following its release on PlayStation 5 and PC via Epic Game Store, Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade will finally be available for Steam users starting tomorrow, June 17. The game's Steam page has gone up with wishlisting now available. The Steam version will also be fully compatible with the newly released Steam Deck. The enhanced and expanded version of the game includes an additional episode starring Yuffie, enhanced visuals capture mode, Classic Mode difficulty and more. To celebrate the launch, players can purchase the game at a 29% off discount from tomorrow through June 23 at 10AM PT.