Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis will enter closed beta later this year. This only means that we might not be able to see the free-to-play mobile gacha officially launching in the app stores before 2022 ends.
The game development titan first announced that they are laying the groundwork for an FF7 mobile spinoff in early 2021 alongside the PS5 FF7 Remake. Initially, they are looking for a late-September 2022 release window, which we already know won’t happen. With the latest development, fans are asking when will be the Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis initial release date.
Also read: Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier Review
Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis Release Date
Spanning the entire Final Fantasy VII timeline, here’s another look at FFVII Ever Crisis.
We’ll be running a Closed Beta Test later in 2022. #FF7EC #FFVII25th pic.twitter.com/1PMoPs3TiE
— FINAL FANTASY VII (@finalfantasyvii) June 16, 2022
Square Enix revealed that FF7: Ever Crisis will enter beta later this year during the franchise’s 25th-anniversary stream. However, even the dates for the final phase of testing weren’t specified. That said, it’s possible that it will happen in the 4th quarter of the year, between the months of October to December. We are also not eliminating the possibility of a late-September beta, which is originally their target release date for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis.
Unfortunately, we can’t give a concrete release date for Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis as balancing the game can take months after the beta test. If beta would realize before October, our optimistic guess is FF7: Ever Crisis might be able to make it by February – March next year, the busiest months for gaming.
FF7: Ever Crisis Story and Gameplay
Square Enix also confirmed that FF7: Ever Crisis will reimagine the timeline of the original Final Fantasy VII game. Instead of focusing on the original game, it will thread the stories of FF7 and its spinoff titles. It will include stories from Crisis Core, Dirge of Cerberus, Advent Children, and, of course, FF7 original.
In a two-minute teaser, Square Enix gave a sneak peek of what the game will look like. It shows an Active Time Battle System, which has already been previously confirmed by the developers. However, it is not clear if it will also feature turn-based mechanics to pay homage to the original game.
Understandably, the game is less graphically intensive as shown in the teaser to match the capacity of mobile phones. It will be featuring chibi graphics in the overworld.
Of course, Cloud Strife will still be at the center of the action but we will also be learning more about Sephiroth’s backstory this time. Just before the teaser ends, Sephiroth was standing in front of flames when he was suddenly replaced by a different character. With much shorter hair and covered with blood, the new character is seemingly a younger version of Sephiroth, suggesting that we may learn something about his past that we didn’t get from the previews spinoffs.
Is Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis Free?
FF7: Ever Crisis is a free-to-play game, which means you don’t have to pay anything to download and start playing. According to the developers, every chapter will be available for free as well.
However, the game will feature a gacha system for getting weapons and in-game items. There is a possibility of earning them by playing, but stronger weapons will be hidden in loot boxes you have to buy. These loot boxes contain random items.
Which Platform Is Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis On?
Square Enix plans to release FF7: Ever Crisis on Android and iOS. They neither confirmed nor denied plans to port the game to other platforms.
