Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy might not be a PlayStation exclusive
Following the success of 2020's Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth has finally touched down and has swung a Buster Sword at the competition in 2024. The mysteries that plagued fans have now been resolved, but they're leaving more questions in their place.
The changes that the game has made have shocked fans, and it has left the future of Final Fantasy 7 in a bizarre limbo. Many went into the first remake and anticipated a simple retelling of Cloud's story. Rebirth isn't playing by the rules, and by every understanding, its sequel won't either.
Even though we've already reached THAT shocking ending of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there are still questions that need answering about the next chapter's release. There's one thing that fans can't quite decipher yet....and it has PlayStation owners worried.
Final Fantasy 7 and Sony are happy working together
Click to enlargeThe Washington Post broke a massive story on March 6, indicating that a new deal had been struck to keep the Final Fantasy Remake Trilogy, including the as-yet-untitled sequel to Rebirth, exclusive to Sony's consoles. It didn't take long for these claims to be drawn into question by the publication itself.
TWP reported that Sony Interactive Entertainment's Vice President of Second- and Third-Party Content Ventures and Strategic Initiatives, Christian Svensson, mentioned that a partnership with Square Enix to bring the series to the consoles as exclusives was "mutually desired." This came after Final Fantasy Producer Yoshinori Kitase had his own statement on the matter.
"Had it not been on a single platform, [Rebirth’s] world map would not be seamless, and game design may have had to regress significantly," said Kitase. There's no confirmation here, but all signs seem to point to Square Enix and Sony being happy to keep up their collaboration - but the report itself has hinted that this might not be the case.
The Washington Post indicates that the FF7 trilogy might not be exclusive
Though the article itself is fairly indicative of the fact that Final Fantasy 7's final remake title will remain in Sony's hands, journalist Gene Park has since clarified that "the entire FF7 trilogy is not yet confirmed to be a Sony exclusive."
This suggests that some intervention from Square Enix or Sony has occurred, and TWP has been asked to adapt its article. Fans presume this means that Square Enix could be deliberating about lifting the series from its exclusivity with PlayStation.
We can't know for sure what's happening here until we get some confirmation from Sony, Square Enix, or both, but it's certainly a compelling implication. We can't see the Rebirth sequel jumping ship from the comfort of Sony, but maybe all hope isn't lost for Xbox-based Final Fantasy fans after all.
