Latest news with #CloudStrife
CNET
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNET
I Can't Not Be Excited About the New Final Fantasy Magic: The Gathering Cards
Final Fantasy is one of the most successful game series of all time, with more than 200 million copies sold across the 16 mainline games and various spinoffs. So you can imagine the hype when Wizards of the Coast announced last fall that Magic: The Gathering -- a trading card game that pulled in $1 billion in revenue last year -- was releasing a Final Fantasy set. At PAX East on Saturday, we got the latest glimpse at some of the cards in the Final Fantasy Magic set, which will be released next month. The Final Fantasy panel took us through cards from every mainline Final Fantasy game, giving us our first looks at protagonists like Final Fantasy 8's Squall and 13's Lightning, plus glimpses of recurring characters like chocobos and Cid. We also got to see multiple versions of Final Fantasy 7 icon Cloud Strife -- one card in the main set, another card leading a Commander set. Wizards of the Coast We saw Final Fantasy staples like crystals, summons, villainous transformations (in the form of double-faced cards) and towns. We also got our first look at a new Magic mechanic: Tiered, which allows players to pay more mana for bigger effects, like a more versatile version of the Kicker mechanic. By paying more mana when you cast Fire Magic, you get better effects, similar to the magic systems in most Final Fantasy games. Wizards of the Coast Magic: The Gathering has been experimenting with other properties via its Universes Beyond series, which effectively started with limited-edition drops of cards featuring characters from The Walking Dead, before being officially introduced with a similar drop for Stranger Things. Prior to Final Fantasy, the biggest Universes Beyond set was The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth, the first full-fledged Universes Beyond set, released in 2023. When Universes Beyond was first announced, Wizards of the Coast said the mechanically unique cards would be restricted from the game's Standard format, which generally allows cards from the most recent sets. (Tales of Middle-earth was legal in the Modern format, but not Standard.) The Final Fantasy set is a big deal for Magic because it brings Universes Beyond into Standard, helping to usher in Spider-Man and Avatar: The Last Airbender sets later this year that will also be Standard-legal. Collectively, these sets are a huge change to how Magic looks, and Final Fantasy is the start of that change. Wizards of the Coast I started playing Magic back in 2014 when a group of former players from the game's early days got back into it and dragged me along with them. I've played inconsistently since then, ranging from tournament entries and being a regular at Friday Night Magic to "I last played a single game of Commander several months ago." But the Final Fantasy announcement -- which came shortly after I finished Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth -- has me hopping on my chocobo to get back into the game. Tifa, like Cloud, appears in both the main set and the Commander set. Wizards of the Coast I fired up old Final Fantasy favorites again. I jumped back into Arena, Magic's slickest digital version (sorry, Magic Online). I put TCGPlayer gift cards on my Christmas list because I knew there would be some wildly expensive versions of characters that I needed to have. Case in point. Wizards of the Coast The PAX panel has deepened my desperation for this set, but it also made me pretty optimistic for it. In media interviews before the panel, the game designers spoke about the imperative they felt to get things right -- to design cards that felt authentic to the games and series, cards that felt meaningful to the fans, instead of just constructing them based on business goals. Wizards of the Coast "We had the rule of cool," Principal Magic Designer Gavin Verhey said. "Like, if something was an awesome idea, we did it." He pointed to having a card that showed off 15 different versions of the character Cid, or having just one pair of cards with the Meld mechanic because it mechanically and emotionally fit the characters on those cards as examples. "Every single card in this set is like a carefully hand-crafted gift." The Final Fantasy set will be released on June 13, with preorders technically available now, but out of stock most places.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade and Bravely Default Flying Fairy HD Remaster Are Coming to Nintendo Switch™ 2
Play Two Acclaimed RPGs Anywhere on the Highly Anticipated Nintendo System LOS ANGELES, April 02, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--During the Nintendo Direct: Nintendo Switch 2 presentation today, SQUARE ENIX® announced two critically acclaimed RPGs, FINAL FANTASY™ VII REMAKE INTERGRADE and BRAVELY DEFAULT™ FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster, are coming to the highly anticipated system. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is the expanded edition of the first entry in the FINAL FANTASY VII remake project and includes an additional story arc that takes place during the game's events. BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster revives the beloved Nintendo 3DS title with updated graphics and new minigames for gamers to discover. Nintendo's latest system will allow fans to play Square Enix's blockbuster RPGs on the go with enhanced graphics and upgraded textures on the system's larger screen. To view today's FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE Nintendo Switch 2 announcement segment, visit: To view the BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster Nintendo Switch 2 trailer, visit: In FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE, players follow the story of ex-SOLDIER operative turned mercenary, Cloud Strife, as he lends his aid to the underground resistance group Avalanche in the mako-powered city of Midgar. In the fight against the shadowy Shinra Electric Power Company, Cloud and his comrades are thrust into a larger conflict to determine the fate of the planet. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE also includes an exhilarating original story arc, FF7R EPISODE INTERmission, which brings Wutai ninja Yuffie Kisaragi to the forefront as she infiltrates the city of Midgar during the events of the base game. With over seven million copies shipped and sold digitally worldwide on the PlayStation and PC platforms, this upcoming release marks the series' debut on a Nintendo system, giving a new audience of players a chance to experience 2020's The Game Awards RPG of the Year* for the first time ever. Originally released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster brings the unforgettable story, iconic characters designed by Akihiko Yoshida (FINAL FANTASY TACTICS, NieR:Automata™) and innovative "Brave & Default" turn-based battle system to the current generation of gamers for the Nintendo Switch 2 system. The HD remaster features updated graphics and new content, perfect for long-time fans to revisit the world of Luxendarc and for newcomers alike. BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster is set in Luxendarc, a world where four elemental crystals maintain peace and balance. When darkness suddenly emerges from the Great Chasm that left a gaping void in the world, the warriors of light will embark on an adventure to save the world from calamity. Players will join Agnès Oblige, the vestal of the Wind Crystal, Tiz Arrior, a kind shepherd and sole survivor of the Great Chasm that engulfed his hometown, Edea Lee, the only daughter of the grand marshal of the Duchy of Eternia, Ringabel, an amnesiac young man with a mysterious journal that has chronicled future events and Airy, a cryst-fairy, on an epic journey to restore light to the crystals and bring peace to the world. Players can work strategically to control the flow of battle with its innovative "Brave & Default" battle system: Brave to expend Brave Points to increase the number of actions taken in turn, and Default to stock up a turn while shoring up defenses. With the game's job system that features over 20 unique jobs, players can mix and match different jobs and abilities to experiment with a huge variety of party compositions. Thrilling turn-based battles, which can be sped up by the player as desired, are enhanced further by a larger-than-life soundtrack from Revo making BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster a can't miss for RPG enthusiasts. FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB and is in development for Nintendo Switch 2. For more information, visit: BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB and will be available on June 5, 2025 on Nintendo Switch 2. For more information, visit: *PS4 version Related Links: FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE INTERGRADE:Official Website: X (previously Twitter): TikTok: Facebook: Threads: YouTube: Instagram: #FinalFantasy #FF7R BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster:Official Website: X (previously Twitter): TikTok: Facebook: Threads: YouTube: Instagram: #BravelyDefault About BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster BRAVELY DEFAULT, originally released in 2012 for the Nintendo 3DS, is the first RPG in the landmark BRAVELY franchise, which has sold over 3 million units worldwide. Telling a classic fantasy tale of crystals and warriors of light, the title is known for its deceptively simple storyline and iconic Brave & Default battle system, in addition to its character designs by Akihiko Yoshida and music composed by Revo. Developed by Team Asano, the game serves as a point of genesis for the critically acclaimed Octopath Traveler series. An HD remaster redesigned to be played comfortably on modern consoles will be released exclusively for Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, 2025. About FINAL FANTASY VII First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2022. The game is universally regarded as a hallmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero, Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 14.4 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has even expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise. Now, Square Enix's FINAL FANTASY VII remake project created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct, and standalone games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is now available on the PC and the PS5® console, and will be available for the Nintendo Switch 2 platform. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the second game in the trilogy, has been praised by both players and critics across the globe, earning more than 125 perfect scores from media and 40 Game of the Year awards, and is available now for PC and the PS5® console. About Square Enix, Inc. Square Enix, Inc. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX® and TAITO® branded entertainment content throughout the Americas as part of the Square Enix group of companies. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY™, which has sold over 200 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 94 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix, Inc. is a U.S.-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. More information on Square Enix, Inc. can be found at © SQUARE ENIX FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE © SQUARE ENIXCHARACTER DESIGN: TETSUYA NOMURA / ROBERTO FERRARILOGO ILLUSTRATION:© YOSHITAKA AMANO BRAVELY DEFAULT FLYING FAIRY HD Remaster © SQUARE ENIX "PlayStation" and "PS5" are registered trademarks of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners. View source version on Contacts Contact (press only): Emily Shojieshoji@ Rachel Mascettirmascetti@ Sign in to access your portfolio
