Why Is 'Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier' Shutting Down?

Fans of the popular Final Fantasy franchise were delighted when just last year in 2021, Square Enix released a new mobile game called Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier. But despite the game carving out a small fanbase, Square has made a recent announcement to shut the game down and end service for it.

If this news hasn't reached you or you want to know more about why the game ended so quickly after its release, then we have you covered. Below we will be taking a look at why Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier is shutting down. 

Why Is Final Fantasy Vii: The First Soldier Shutting Down?

The short answer to this question is simply that Square Enix isn't happy with the game and the experience they have delivered to its players. As such they have opted to pull the game from the shelves in a three-step process as described on their official website.

As of right now, you can no longer buy Shinra credits from the shop, but you can still use the credits you already have until the game closes. Support for non-English localization ends on the 1st of November (meaning text will only be displayed in English going forward). And finally, The First Soldier goes offline for good on the 11th of January.

In a recent Twitter Post, the official company put out a full statement that you can check out below. 

[End of Service Notice]

We are regretful to announce that we will be ending service for FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER at 07:00 UTC on January 11, 2023.

We would like to thank you all for all your support over the past year.https://t.co/XvNOVv2EVs#FF7FSpic.twitter.com/aNVI4iHle4

— FINAL FANTASY VII THE FIRST SOLDIER_EN｜FF7FS (@FFVII_FS_EN) October 12, 2022

As they put it: "It is with a heavy heart that we are announcing the end of service for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier. We will be ending service at 07:00 UTC on January 11, 2023.

"Despite all our efforts to bring you regular updates with fresh and exciting content, we haven’t been able to deliver the experience that we were hoping to and that you all deserve. So we have made the extremely tough decision to end service for Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier.

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"We would like to thank you all for supporting us over the past year. Although there is only a little less than 3 months until service ends, we will continue to make updates during this time, so we hope you will continue to enjoy Final Fantasy VII The First Soldier until the very end"

The third-person battle royale took place before the events of FFVII and pitted 75 players as SOLDIER candidates against each other. In addition to firearms, players can use magic and summons. Square previously stated that The First Soldier was an attempt to bring a wider fanbase into the Final Fantasy VII universe while also providing existing fans with new ways to enjoy its mythos.

Future Final Fantasy Titles

The news of its axing does come as a surprise since in recent years there has been more and more demand for mobile titles from larger franchises. Though if Square Enix feels they haven't delivered an adequate product, they reserve the right to ax the game and focus on delivering a better one. 

Thankfully, there is more in the pipeline to come from Square Enix and the Final Fantasy moniker, with Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion releasing on the 13th of December. And Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the follow-up to Remake, scheduled to launch next winter, there's still tons of great Final Fantasy content to be excited about.

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Featured image courtesy of Square Enix.