While it looks as though fans are going to be waiting a while for updates on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, Square Enix has at least peeled back the curtain on a different kind of sequel. Since releasing late last year to mixed reception on Android and iOS devices, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier has been rolling through its Season 1: The Rise of Shinra content. With the closing date for the free-to-play battle royale’s debut season now coming into view, the Japanese publisher has decided to tease what players can expect in its Season 2 follow-up.
At the time of Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier’s announcement, the game was overshadowed by more traditional takes on the universe, such as Ever Crisis: Final Fantasy 7 and the PS5’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade. Even though Square Enix’s attempt to emulate the success seen by multiplayer battle royale titles like Fortnite was questioned at the time, the existence of a second season’s worth of content suggests that the game has achieved a decent level of success. While there’s been no concrete release date announced for when players can dive into Season 2, that hasn’t stopped some of its bigger details from becoming common internet knowledge.
The Dragoon Class
One of the aspects of Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier that’s helped the game stand out from all of its battle royale competitors is its fleshed-out class system. Players can currently pick from 5 distinct roles that are based on the franchise’s archetype job classes and have a significant impact on gameplay. The Warrior, for example, who’s partly inspired by Cloud’s play-style and appearance in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, is perfect for new players who want a melee-centric experience. Considering that Final Fantasy 7 is one of the anthology series’ more notable entries that doesn’t revolve around traditional job classes, the fact that they’re implemented so well in the mobile spin-off is actually remarkable.
Part of Square Enix’s marketing campaign for The First Soldier’s second season has centered around the release of a teaser image, which suggests that the roster of classes within the game is about to be expanded. In the promo artwork, a moody looking character equipped with a pair of leathery wings and an oversized spear can be seen front and center. Longtime fans of the Final Fantasy series will instantly recognize this nameless hero as one of the franchise’s iconic Dragoons. Throughout the series’ history, characters that have held this class moniker have become renowned for their jumping and lance-based abilities.
What’s striking about the seemingly incoming Dragoon class is the fact that, up until this point, the universe of Final Fantasy 7 has been devoid of any characters that hold that title. During the story of the original PS1-era title, Cid Highwind embodied most of the class' characteristics instead, to the point that one of his Limit Break attacks was even dubbed ‘Dragon.’ How The First Soldier‘s new class works in practice remains to be seen, but based on historical precedents, it stands to reason that the Dragoon will be truly unique. With the game’s first season having featured skins of prominent characters from the universe’s main entries, despite being set 30 years prior to their occurrence, it’s likely that the Dragoon will also get a Cid cosmetic.
First Soldier’s New Map
In an article posted to Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier’s official website, the game’s director Tetsuya Nomura teased some of the new content that’s coming to the game when Season 2 gets here. One of the more exciting revelations is the fact that multiple new maps, inspired by the expanded Final Fantasy 7 universe, will be added to the experience to boost player options. Often games within the battle royale genre can live and die based on how frequently their playgrounds change, so the fact that Square Enix is being so proactive this soon bodes well. As it stands right now, The First Soldier’s current map focuses on the Midgar area of the world, which leaves plenty of other options that could be converted into arenas.
The President’s Cup
Alongside the news that The First Soldier’s array of maps is about to be bolstered, it was also announced in Square Enix’s blog post that the free-to-play title will be receiving a new game mode. Dubbed The President’s Cup, likely in reference to Shinra’s evil despot leader, the new tournament-based mode is seemingly the publisher’s first attempt to create a competitive gaming scene around its mobile title. Details regarding exactly how that initiative will play out in practice during Season 2 are vague right now, however Nomura has promised that specific details will be announced during a future livestream.
Gameplay Revisions
While specifics have so far been kept under wraps, the blog post that showcased the upcoming Dragoon class also revealed that general gameplay tweaks will be rolled out when Season 2 arrives. Having listened to player comments since launch, the developers behind Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier are now seemingly ready to put some of that feedback into practice. With the game featuring multiple classes, Materia attacks, and an eclectic assortment of weapons, there’s plenty of areas that are ripe for some balancing. The prominence of stream snipers was an aspect of the game that was referenced directly, though, which suggests Season 2 will feature a solution to this issue.
Season 2’s Release Date and Pass
Even though Square Enix has decided to keep its cards close to its chest, it’s possible to speculate on some of Season 2’s other features. Based on the success that Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier’s first Season Pass has reaped, it seems likely that there’s going to be a follow-up pass for players to chip away at during the second season. The game’s first stab at what’s become a common occurrence in multiplayer gaming featured an assortment of cosmetic goodies, so it stands to reason that similar items will also be present once again. With the previously mentioned Dragoon promo artwork looming over Season 2, there’s a chance that the new class could feature prominently in a new Season Pass.
Based on the fact that Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier’s first season is scheduled to end on February 28, and Square Enix is already teasing what’s coming after, there’s a chance that proceedings will tick over into the new season on this date, too. So far, though, the publisher has remained coy on this topic, which could mean it’s just as likely that there might be a break or Fortnite-style event that delays the new content’s arrival. Having clawed out some success with Season 1, it stands to reason that fans won’t be waiting too long for more content one way or another.
Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier is available now for iOS and Android devices.