The closed beta for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is over, but there’s more to come as the game will be released later this year. During our time with the beta there was a lot to learn about what Square Enix is looking to create with this new title. You can read about our hands-on time with the game here.
If you’re simply eager to learn all there is to know so far about the game though, that’s what this guide will essentially break down. Keep in mind that Square Enix may even reveal more about the game at its E3 showcase happening on June 13.
With that said, this post will be updated regularly. As Square Enix releases new information about the game or as new features are added. For now, here’s everything you need to know about Final Fantasy VII First Soldier.
What is Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier?
Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is a new game from Square Enix set in the Final Fantasy VII universe. It’s a battle royale game that features high-stakes multiplayer, blending elements of Final Fantasy combat with the fast-paced action of a battle royale shooter like PUBG, Fortnite and other similar games in the genre.
It’s one of two new mobile titles that will be part of the Final Fantasy VII universe that Square Enix is currently working on.
Will there be a beta?
Square Enix held a closed beta that ended on June 8, 2021. It hasn’t said that there would be any more closed beta tests. It also hasn’t said anything about open beta tests. Now that the release is just about here, there’s little likelihood that any more tests will happen prior to launch.
When is Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier releasing?
Sometime in 2021. Square Enix hasn’t confirmed an exact release date for the game. But seeing as it went through a closed beta period in early 2021, the launch probably isn’t too far off. A Summer release is no longer possible. Since the Summer is now just about over. That being said, if the 2021 launch is still on the table, then sometime around the end of the year seems more likely.
Update: October 4, 2021
As of October 3, Square Enix has stated that it plans to start pre-registration for the game in October. An official launch of the game is planned for the month of November. However no exact dates were given for either the pre-registration or launch.
Update: November 2, 2021
Last month on October 26, Square Enix started the pre-registration period for the game. Now one week later, there are already 500,000 pre-registrations with a launch happening sometime within the next few weeks.
Update: November 5, 2021
Square Enix has now officially posted the release date of the game. According to the official Final Fantasy VII: First Soldier Twitter account, the game will release globally on November 17. Which means in just a short couple of weeks, you can dive in. If you haven’t already pre-registered, be sure to do so!
Update: November 16, 2021
The game has now officially released, as Square Enix launched Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier on November 15. Worth noting however is that Square Enix does confirm servers won’t be live until November 17. You can pre-install the game now though.
#FF7FS Official Release Date!
FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER will officially be released globally on November 17 (Wed.)!🎉
Pre-register now if you haven’t yet!
▶️ https://t.co/DM6opJ3eqAStay tuned for more info!#FinalFantasy #FF7R pic.twitter.com/8TOVg7goA1
— FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER_EN｜FF7FS (@FFVII_FS_EN) November 5, 2021
Will the game have a battle pass?
There wasn’t a battle pass in the closed beta, but it’s highly likely that Square Enix will include one down the line. Potentially during another test or when the game officially launches later this year.
It would be pretty weird for there not to be a battle pass too, as this is a battle royale game and battle passes are more or less mainstays of games in the genre. In fact battle passes are fairly common across a whole slew of games on mobile, and even console and PC. Even outside of battle royale titles.
That being said, we can’t guarantee that Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will have a battle pass. It’s simply a logical move for Square Enix to include it, so we’re speculating that there will be one.
Does Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier have micro transactions?
Probably. The game does have a shop where you can buy things. This was available in the closed beta and there was a daily rotation of new items being made available. Though the shop definitely didn’t feel like it was up to scale for what will be offered in the full version of the game.
Once the game is officially available, expect there to be many more items you can purchase within the shop. Also worth noting is that the shop in the closed beta only allowed players to spend Gil to make purchases. Players should also expect though, that there will be various other ways to buy items. Including real money, once the game goes live.
During the beta, you could buy costumes and weapon skins with Gil. There’s no way to know if these things will cost other types of currencies once the game is out though. But looking to one of Square Enix’s other free games that launched on mobile recently, NieR Reincarnation, micro transactions will almost certainly be there.
Because Square Enix has to monetize it somehow. Especially since it’s a live service game.
How do I earn Gil in the game?
Gil is the official currency within Final Fantasy games. And it has a place here too. To earn Gil in Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier, you can do a number of different things. You will earn small amounts of Gil by completing matches.
But you can also earn Gil by completing tasks. Some tasks will require you to kill a certain amount of monsters and this can be spread out over multiple matches. Other tasks will require you to kill a certain number of other players, but you will have to do so within a short time period in a single match.
You will also earn small amounts of Gil when you level up. There is a possibility that you can earn Gil in other ways too, that perhaps weren’t present during the closed beta.
What is combat like?
Combat is a mix of your typical battle royale shooter game and elements of newer Final Fantasy games in the mainline series that feature action RPG combat. Your main weapons will be a plethora of guns and other things you can shoot enemies with.
But you will also be able to fight with melee weapons like daggers, swords, staves and your fists. You can also use magic abilities by finding and equipping different types of materia.
Since this is a battle royale game, you will drop into the map, a section of Midgar, and you will need to scavenge the areas around you for useful weapons and items. All while trying to fight off other players who are trying to be the last person standing to win the match.
You can battle it out against players or monsters
While the meat and potatoes of the combat revolve around defeating other players, there are other ways to level up too. In each match you will find tons of monsters across the map that you can fight.
These will be monsters from various games in the series, so Final Fantasy fans should be familiar with many of them. Though you won’t want to spend all of your time fighting with monsters, because that means you aren’t paying attention to other players.
And constantly having shootouts or battles with non-player enemies is an easy way to draw attention to yourself. Especially when the best way to win is to try and get the drop on other players before they get the drop on you.
Does Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier have jobs?
Just like other Final Fantasy games, Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will offer jobs. Although they’re not actually called jobs in this game. Instead they’re called Styles, and there were four different styles to choose from during the beta.
This included the Warrior, the Ranger, the Monk, and the Sorcerer. One thing to keep in mind is that there are a lot of different job types within the Final Fantasy franchise. So there is a possibility that Square Enix will add more at some point down the line.
A pretty strong possibility at that, as this is one way Square Enix could introduce fresh content. By giving players more styles to check out and level up on their way to mastery of each one.
Each style can also unlock new abilities and skills as you level up that style. So there’s incentive to try out all of them and play with each one as much as you can. As you never know which one you might like best. Not to mention which one might feel the most powerful according to your own personal play style.
Update: October 4, 2021
Square Enix has officially announced the game’s newest style. The Ninja. This style specializes in stealth combat, using long range attacks to best their opponents. The Ninja’s melee weapon is of course the shuriken. Specifically one that mimics the style of the one Yuffie uses in the original Final Fantasy VII. She also uses this iconic weapon in the Remake.
Is there any character customization?
There will be some character customization, but maybe not in the way some players are envisioning. You can’t create your character with the same depth you can in some other games. For instance, you can’t change things like the width and size of eyes, cheekbone height, body type and size, etc. like you’re able to in games like Black Desert Mobile.
You can however choose between both male and female characters. And there will be costumes you can apply to your characters. Whether you unlock them or purchase them through the shop as they become available.
The game will also have emotes that you can initiate, with the possibility to unlock and acquire more through various means. So your character can not only look stylish, but it can also engage in some friendly taunting.
Update: October 4, 2021
More character customization options are being added to the game through the “Collection” feature that’s being implemented. This feature allows players to collect pieces and exchange them for skins for everything from character costumes to weapons.
Pieces can be collected by finding them in secret boxes throughout the maps in the game, from monster drops, and more. Some of the new skins being showcased include an entire moogle themed set. With costume skins that make you look like a moogle. There’s also moogle hats, wings for your back, a moogle backpack, weapons and more.
Can you customize weapons?
It does not look like you can customize weapons to a very high degree. However there is some customization. It won’t be to the scale that you find in games like Call Of Duty: Mobile. But there are weapons skins to acquire. Both for the guns and the melee weapons.
Some of these you will probably be able to unlock, while others you will have to buy from the specialty shop. This appears to be the extent of weapon customization within the game.
Can you pilot vehicles like in other battle royale games?
You certainly can. In fact there are more than just your standard vehicles. You’ll find familiar looking vehicles like Shinra helicopters and motorcycles, as well as jeep-style all terrain vehicles, and even chocobos.
Because it wouldn’t be a Final Fantasy game without chocobos. There could be more vehicles added to the game later on, but as of now only these four options are present.
How many players will be allowed in a match?
Matches in Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will support up to 75 total players. The goal obviously being to be the last one alive so you can achieve victory.
How many match types does the game have?
There will be a handful of different match types within the game that players can engage in. This includes tutorial matches. Where you can more or less practice your skills a little bit against NPC players. As well as standard matches against live players, and then ranked matches against live players.
You will not be required to play ranked. But there could end up being rewards for leveling up in that match type so it might be worth considering.
Update: October 4, 2021
Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier will also now include a training mode. This mode is intended to help players become accustomed to the controls and gameplay mechanics of the game. It could also be used by anyone who simply wishes to hone their skill further. Need some practice with new weapons or character styles? This will be the mode you want to test things out in.
Does Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier include a chat system?
Yes, there is a chat system. This can be accessed both from the game’s home screen, and probably within matches, with the ability to add emoji into messages.
Chat will potentially expand to include more than just team chat once the game is officially launched.
Where is the game going to be available?
Square Enix hasn’t put out a definitive list of all the regions and countries where Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is being released. But this will be a globally available game. So it will be landing in North America and Japan, and likely many countries in Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and parts of Central and Southeast Asia.
What are the device requirements to play?
You won’t need a gaming phone like the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate to play, but Square Enix has designed the game with a recommended set of specifications. For Android, you will need a device that is running on Android 7.1 or later.
It’s also recommended that the device you use has at least 3GB of available memory. Square Enix says these are tentative requirements and that they could change upon the game’s official release. So keep this in mind when it launches later this year.
Also worth noting is that while you won’t need a top-tier phone to play, having one will certainly afford you better visuals and frame rates. And better frame rates is definitely important in games like this. Where faster reactions can mean a world of difference.
Does Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier have controller support?
The closed beta didn’t show any evidence of official controller support. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any or that it wasn’t there. Presumably, this is something that Square Enix has at least considered and may be working on.
But as of now there’s no confirmation on whether or not the game will support controllers. Another thing to consider is that even if it doesn’t officially support controllers, there will be ways to make controllers work.
Just one example is the ROG Phone 5 Ultimate and its compatible version of the Kunai gamepad. As you would be able to map in-game actions to the buttons on the gamepad. If official controller support does arrive, expect it to work with the Xbox Wireless controller as well as controllers like the DualShock 4 and DualSense controller, in addition to a range of mobile-specific controllers like the Razer Kishi.
Update: October 4, 2021
Square Enix made a handful of new announcements at Tokyo Game Show. One of those was in regards to controller support. As noted above, this was not available in the closed beta.
The studio has officially confirmed that controller support will be available. What Square Enix doesn’t confirm is what controllers will be supported. Presumably, you’ll be able to use anything that connects to an Android or iOS device. Which if true, would in theory mean that the DualShock 4, DualSense, and Xbox wireless controllers would all be supported.
Check out the game’s trailers
During Tokyo Game Show 2021, Square Enix revealed a new trailer for the game. This showcases many of the updates discussed earlier in this guide. You can view that trailer below. Additionally, you can view the teaser trailer below. We’ll also update this post with more trailers as they come in. Should they contain any relevant content.
2021-11-17 15:08:17