Final Fantasy VII’s mobile battle royale game is shutting down

By George Yang Published October 12, 2022

Square Enix has announced that its mobile battle royale game Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will shut down on January 11, 2023.

“After almost a year of jumping around on chocobos, mashing it up in melee battles, and sniping from the rooftops of Midgar Undercity, it is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the end of service for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier. We will be ending service at 07:00 UTC on January 11, 2023,” Square Enix explains on the game’s website.

“Despite all our efforts to bring you regular updates with fresh and exciting content, we haven’t been able to deliver the experience that we were hoping to, and that you all deserve, so we have made the extremely tough decision to end service for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier.”

[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

Shinra credits, the game’s premium currency, have been removed from the game’s shop and can no longer be purchased at the time of this shutdown announcement. However, Shinra credits that have already been bought can be used until the game goes offline next year.

Support for non-English languages in Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will end on November 1, 2022, at 2 p.m. UTC (7 a.m. PT). After this time, only English text will be shown when playing the game.

Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier launched on November 17, 2021, for iOS and Android. The game was a battle royale one similar to the likes of PUBG and Fortnite. Despite this game being shut down, there are more Final Fantasy VII-related ones coming down the line, including Crisis Core Reunion and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Topics

Tech News

George Yang is a freelance games writer for Digital Trends. He has written for places such as IGN, GameSpot, The Washington…

Gaming

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes one impactful change to Barret’s story

Barret talking to Dyne in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

This article contains story spoilers for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Ahead of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth's launch, fans were buzzing about how the sequel would tackle Aerith's story. The holy healer was a major focus of Square Enix's marketing, making it clear that one of gaming's most iconic moments would be pivotal to the adventure. But for me, I was more curious about how another tragedy would play out: the tale of Barret and Dyne.

Gaming

Don’t skip over our 5 favorite minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Fort Condor characters

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is not only a fascinating retelling of one of gaming's most beloved titles -- it's also among the most feature-rich games of this generation. From vast open areas to explore that teem with activities to densely populated cities and tense dungeons, there's at least 100 hours worth of content to uncover here if you've got the time and energy to complete it all.

As you work through the game, you'll find that a surprising amount of this playtime sees you engaging with minigames, both to advance the story and just for fun to earn optional rewards. And though there are a few duds scattered along the way -- we're looking at you Gears and Gambits -- most of the minigames you'll encounter offer a unique and enjoyable diversion for Cloud and friends. We've gone through a tough elimination process and decided on our picks for the top five minigames in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
5. Dolphin Course

Gaming

Like the best RPGs, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth gets sidequests right

The mayor of Under Junon in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Among its many highlights, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth makes simple sidequests a lot more engaging than I had expected. Take an early-game sidequest called When Words Won’t Do. On a surface level, it’s a simple escort mission where players must get a dog from Under Junon to Crow’s Nest unscathed. I did not initially have high hopes for this sidequest due to the poor reputation of escort missions; thankfully, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth defied that fate. To make this optional content more worthwhile, Square Enix gave it a strong narrative backbone.

When Words Won’t Do is actually a story about parents struggling to let go of their kids. Under Junon’s mayor sends players on this quest to help her son and unborn grandchild, and Barrett wonders if he’ll ever be able to let Marlene go during the mission. That’s thematically fitting for an escort mission where you can’t keep something out of your sight.