News and Announcements for February 2024

It’s finally here. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is officially out now and Final Fantasy fans all over the world are hungrily playing to discover what becomes of Aerith, the Midgar flower seller who’s won hearts since she first came into our lives when the original game was released back in 1997. The Rebirth team knows Aerith’s fate has been front and center in the minds of fans since the announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake and the Rebirth launch trailer appears to be their final tease before players discover the truth for themselves. Thirteen seconds into the trailer, Sephiroth menacingly utters the words, “Good, Aerith. Pray.” This is an obvious attempt to raise dark memories of Aerith’s ...
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We’ve finally made it! Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on February 29, meaning we only have to wait a few more hours to play the most anticipated game of the year. But exactly when can you start playing the game in your part of the world? Here are the official release times for those living in the Western Hemisphere. Rebirth Release Times Eastern Standard Time - Midnight on February 29 Central Standard Time - 11:00 p.m. on February 28 Mountain Standard Time - 10:00 p.m. on February 28 Pacific Standard Time - 9:00 p.m. on February 28 Alaska Standard Time - 8:00 p.m. on February 28 Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time - 7:00 p.m. on February 28 Preload the Game Now! Preloading on digital edition...
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There’s been a printing error on physical game discs of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in Japan and other Asian countries. Explained as a “defect in the manufacturing process at Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.” via the Japanese Square Enix site, the “Play Disc” and “Data Disc” labels have been mistakenly swapped. This means that players in impacted markets will need to insert the “Play Disc” to install the game and then use the “Data Disc” to play it once the installation is complete. So far, this labeling snafu has been discovered on Japanese, Korean, and Chinese versions of physical Final Fantasy VII Rebirth game discs. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches in less than 24 hours on February 2...
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We’re less than 48 hours away from the launch of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Square Enix is celebrating with an official launch stream on February 28 at 1 p.m. PST on their Twitch channel. There are no details on what exactly awaits viewers during this online shindig, but the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth team has announced the list of personalities that’ll be featured. The special event is being hosted by former IGN correspondent and current radio host, Naomi Kyle, along with professional AWE wrestler and content creator, Kenny Omega. They’ll be joined by a veritable party of special guests consisting of Rebirth’s voice cast. Announced to be on hand during the festivities will be voice actor ...
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Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis is celebrating being downloaded 7.77 million times since its September 2023 launch. The 7.77 Million DL Campaign features increased quest reward drop rates, guarantees a 5-star weapon draw on a Red Crystal 10 Draw, and other player benefits. First, every Ever Crisis player was gifted 1,500 Blue Crystals and one Draw Ticket x10 to commemorate the download milestone. The event campaign also significantly increases weapon enhancement great success and quest reward rates to 50%. So, if you’ve been looking to gear and power up, this is the perfect time to do so. And for those willing to spend a little cash, one 10 Draw using 300 Red Crystals guarantees at least one ...
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The review embargo for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was lifted today and, at the time of writing, is sitting at a very impressive 93 rating on Metacritic. To put this in perspective, the game’s predecessor, Final Fantasy VII Remake – a critically acclaimed game in its own right–ended up with a Metacritic score of 87. Two of last year’s biggest titles, Baldur’s Gate 3 and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, both ended up with a score of 96. This is an exceptional feat for a game like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth that’s carrying such massive weight in terms of pressure and expectations. Not only is it the most anticipated game of the year–literally–but the shadow of the original Final Fantasy...
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The seasonal event “A Nocturne for Heroes” is headed back to Final Fantasy XIV starting on February 28. This is the same event that first debuted back in 2019 and centers around the arrival of Final Fantasy XV’s main protagonist, Noctis. Players can earn some great FFXV-themed rewards like a Noctis-inspired glamour set, a new hairstyle, and the Regalia Type-G mount. If this is your first time partaking in the event, head to Ul’dah and speak to Kipih Jakkya (X:8.5 Y:9.7) to pick up the “The Man in Black” starting quest. If you’ve completed the event before and are looking to relive it, you’ll need to head to New Gridania first to speak with Noctis (X:11.4 Y:11.3). Pick up and complete the “Me...
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The new update drops at 4 a.m. PST and unlocks the “Dawn of a New Era” episode. Players will be getting a small taste of Rebirth’s vast world by exploring an open zone in the Junon region. We’ll have to play it ourselves to find out how much playtime is included in the update, but the Rebirth team has confirmed it’ll feature content unique to the demo. Additionally, this patch will also include the visual enhancement to the demo’s Performance Mode that was announced last week. The first half of the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo is available in the PlayStation Store now and includes a starting section of the game in which Cloud and Sephiroth are sent to Cloud’s hometown of Nibelheim to inspe...
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Insomnia Cookies, the Philly-based dessert chain known for their late-night cookie deliveries, has teamed up with Square Enix to celebrate the approaching launch of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. For a limited time, they’re offering special Rebirth-themed cookie packs with collectible box sleeves. Order a Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Cloud Lil’ Dipper or Big Dipper pack for $13.50 and $16.25, respectively, for a Cloud Strife box sleeve along with your choice of icing. Have an even bigger sweet tooth? Get the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth 12-pack for $33 and get a dozen of their signature cookies along with a collectible box sleeve featuring other characters from the game. Keep in mind that there are a ...
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In a recent article published by IGN detailing conversations with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi, both Vincent Valentine and Cid won’t be making their combat debuts in the upcoming sequel. This goes deeper than simply being unplayable in combat like the AI-controlled Red XIII assisting in combat sequences in Final Fantasy VII Remake. According to Hamaguchi, the pair won’t be in combat with players at all. He tells IGN that “both Cid and Vincent are accompanying the party on their journey and they do help out, but they aren't actually featuring in battle as guest characters. So they're not really going to be involved in your fight.” He also elaborates that the decision to...
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The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo is set to receive a content update on February 21. Along with the addition of the new Junon area episode that’ll be giving players a taste of the game’s open world, the Rebirth team has announced that visual improvements to the demo’s Performance Mode are also making it into the patch. Performance Mode was announced during last week’s Rebirth State of Play video presentation and is designed to lock Rebirth performance at a steady 60fps. While it was implied that Performance Mode wouldn’t look as good as its visually focused counterpart, Graphics Mode, which goes the other route and prioritizes 4K visuals to go along with 30fps, demo players on the internet ...
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Starting at 6:00 p.m. PST on February 15, Final Fantasy VII: Ever Crisis players can experience the early parts of the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth storyline in the special crossover event “FFVII Rebirth: Fall of a Hero Prologue.” Like the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth demo released last week, the story of this special crossover encompasses the early goings of Rebirth as Cloud and Sephiroth investigate the Nibel Reactor atop Mt. Nibel. As such, players will get to control both iconic former SOLDIERS in combat sequences featuring Ever Crisis-style gameplay. Completing event quests will net exchangeable items that can be traded for rewards in the Exchange. Items include a 4-star, Sephiroth-exclusive ...
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Excitement for the next chapter in the Final Fantasy Remake project reached a boiling point following the State of Play video showcase dedicated to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. The final trailer was loaded with new story details but, in addition to that, Square Enix let us in on new game mechanics and features that further emphasized how much bigger and richer in content Rebirth is compared to its award-winning predecessor. Here's our breakdown. Breaking down the final trailer. At over four minutes long, the final trailer for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is a lot to take in. More than any trailer before, it delves deeper into the overarching motivations driving all this conflict. Cloud and compan...
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