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Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date and the rest you need to know

Final Fantasy going into the battle royale genre with The First Soldier

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date and the rest you need to know
Updated: 07/05/2021, Now you can sign up for Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier beta!

In February this year, Square Enix announced two Final Fantasy VII games that are heading to iOS and Android devices. One of those was Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, which will intrigue fans of the storied franchises alongside people who love battle royale games.

Regardless of which camp you fall into, you likely find yourself on this page because you are looking for more information about the game. Whether that's the latest on the Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date or what the game brings to the battle royale genre, we've got you covered. Here's everything we know so far about Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier.

What is Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier?

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier is Square Enix's foray into the battle royale genre that takes place 30 years before the seventh instalment of Final Fantasy. It centres around Shinra Electric Company's SOLDIER company and the various experimental and enhanced fighters they created to supplement their military output. You will play as one of those super soldiers, battling it out with other players to be the sole survivor.

Square Enix hasn't released much information about what we can expect from the game in written form, but the initial trailer they have released is packed with action for us to dissect and form a rough idea. If you'd prefer to watch rather than read, you can check that trailer out in the embedded video below.

Following the usual battle royale norm, there is plenty of cutting about a map shooting other players with firearms. But, beyond that, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier looks to offer a whole lot more than solely gun-focused combat. You will also have an array of abilities at your disposal to make use of in a fight.

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These powers include defensive options such as spawning a shield to block incoming projectiles and offensive powers, such as throwing a fireball or summoning a monster to fight by your side. Aside from that, there appear to be numerous support options available too. For instance, you can heal your teammates or lay little cyclone traps that allow them to reach new heights.

What did we learn from the trailer?

Based on the trailer, it appears that you can have three different spells equipped at once, with each ability costing varying amounts of MP. Each of these abilities also has levels beside them, though we're currently unsure how you increase their level. Likewise, Square Enix is yet to explain how these abilities are equipped.

It might be a case of looting them once you've dropped into the battlefield, with stronger variants available but less commonly found. Alternatively, the game may incorporate some kind of loadout or character-based system that determines which abilities you take into each round. Additionally, there are PvE elements in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier, which could be tied to leveling up your character's abilities.

What is the Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date?

At the time of writing, Square Enix has not announced a specific Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date. They have merely stated that the game is set to launch for iOS and Android in 2021, which is quite a varied time frame. However, since this is a multiplayer title, there may be a chance it will release in soft launch before becoming available globally to test servers and gather feedback from players.

As such, you might be able to play the game before an official release date is announced, depending on your region. However, this is usually carried out in select countries rather than becoming available to everyone, so it's worth checking back frequently to see if your region is one of the lucky ones. If not, unfortunately, you'll have to wait until Square Enix announces the release date.

Square Enix recently announced that players in the US, Canada and Japan can sign up now for a chance to take part in a closed beta test that will take place between June 1st to 7th. Sign-ups will be open until May 27th. 

Will Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier be free-to-play?

As is often the case with multiplayer games on mobile, Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier will be a free-to-play game when it launches on iOS and Android. However, Square Enix hasn't detailed what the in-app purchases will be.

Based on other games within the genre, however, we can certainly speculate what they might be. Battle royale games usually have some form of battle pass that allows players to earn various cosmetics by ranking up during a season. There are normally free and paid variants of this available, so that's one form the IAPs could take.

Additionally, there may also be cosmetics that players can simply purchase with in-game currency. This could be skins for characters themselves, weapons or potentially, with this game specifically, different looks for the monsters you can summon.

Looking for more battle royale games to play whilst you wait for the Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier release date? Here are some of the best available for Android devices.
Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen Gregson-Wood
Stephen brings both a love of games and a very formal-sounding journalism qualification to the Pocket Gamer team.