Soldier down, I repeat, soldier down!
As much as this meme is outdated, it feels perfectly apt to describe the situation between Square Enix and Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier.
Final Fantasy 7 is widely considered the most popular entry in the award-winning franchise. The sub-series spawned several spin-offs and adaptations in other media, including the CGI film, Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children. After finally listening to fan demand and releasing Final Fantasy 7 Remake in 2020, to much success, Square Enix must have thought that it could capitalize on the series’ popularity by launching multiple spin-offs. But, judging from the recent news, it appears that Square Enix overestimated itself.
According to Square Enix, the mobile battle royale game, Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier, will be taken off the market in January. However, its support for non-English languages will cease as early as November 1.
Square Enix explains that the decision is “extremely tough” for the company after it owned up to its shortcomings. In line with the shutdown, Square Enix has removed the game’s premium currency, Shinra credits, from the shop.
[End of Service Notice]
We are regretful to announce that we will be ending service for FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER at 07:00 UTC on January 11, 2023.
We would like to thank you all for all your support over the past year.https://t.co/XvNOVv2EVs#FF7FS pic.twitter.com/aNVI4iHle4
— FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER_EN｜FF7FS (@FFVII_FS_EN) October 12, 2022
The First Soldier was Square Enix’s attempt to try and get at least a small slice of the battle royale pie. The First Soldier showed promise at launch and many hoped that the studio would extend its patience to provide support for the game for years. But, as it turns out, it’s up to its usual old self as the free-to-play title presumably failed to live up to expectations.
Most recently, Square Enix has described games such as Outriders, Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy, and Marvel’s Avengers, as failures.
While this isn’t indicative of the status of the other FF7-related projects, it’s concerning. It’s best to keep in mind that FF7 Ever Crisis still doesn’t have a release date. It’s possible that Square Enix might cancel the project.
If it’s any consolation, the FF7 Crisis Core remake is still on track to launch before the year ends. Meanwhile, all signs indicate that FF7 Rebirth will come out next year, months after Final Fantasy 16 hits store shelves.
In other news, Yoshi-P is teasing more Final Fantasy news in a few weeks’ time. This might include more trailers for FF16 and FF7 Rebirth as well as official confirmation that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster games are coming to consoles.
