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Nintendo's Direct for Switch 2 ran for about an hour, ending just a few minutes ago. This Direct was previously assumed to be mostly about first-party games, particularly those available near the launch window; under that assumption, the number of games presented by third parties was pretty significant.

For Square Enix fans, two titles in particular would be of interest, but neither are new. Bravely Default Flying Fairy was presented as a launch title for Switch 2 on the release date of June 5, 2025; this, the first game of the series, released for the 3DS in 2012. The remaster for Switch 2 will upscale the game and adjust the UI to suit, as well as add some new minigames. The online features from the original have been ported in as well.

Additionally, Squenix confirmed the long-standing rumor that Final Fantasy VII Remake would arrive on the Switch 2. This was not presented as a launch title, as far as I'm aware - the stream had some technical difficulties right before the announcement and I have not yet seen the complete video from that portion, just the audio. The version to be released will be the Intergrade version released for PlayStation 5 and PC, meaning it will include the additional Yuffie content. This of course implies that Rebirth may eventually come to Switch 2 as well, but that was not addressed in today's Direct.

Unfortunately, no announcements for anything Final Fantasy IX today, as many were hoping for - but there's still a few months before we hit that 25th anniversary.

A semi-surprise announcement from Square Enix during this morning’s Switch 1 Nintendo Direct was a remaster of SaGa Frontier 2. Originally released for the original PlayStation, SaGa Frontier 2 was the eighth SaGa game and, obviously, second in the Frontier sub-series on PlayStation. SaGa Frontier 2 is probably lesser-known, having released late in the PlayStation’s lifecycle, just a few months before the PlayStation 2.



The new version, despite being announced in the Nintendo Direct, is being released today for pretty much every available gaming device under the sun: Switch, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Steam, iOS, and Android (sorry, Xboxers).

It doesn’t appear that there’s been a major graphical overhaul, though the graphics have been made to support HD and widescreen displays. However, there have been additions to the plot to “uncover truths from the original,” and new QoL updates, New Game +, minigame content and post-game challenge battles added as well.

Strangely, the store listings for the game have not been published yet for Nintendo, Steam, or iOS as I write this, so I’m not sure when exactly the game is releasing or what the price point will be. SaGa Frontier Remaster is currently listed at $24.99.

Source: Gematsu

It's been quite a while since we did a concert update newspost, so some shows have definitely come and gone already (like the one I just went to, actually...). So, let's do a quick new list just because every Final Fantasy concert series is enjoyable, especially if you've never gotten to attend one.

For the uninitiated, "Distant Worlds" is the Final Fantasy touring concert series playing music from across the entire spectrum of the mainline Final Fantasy games, and has been going for many years. The seventh album release from the series recently dropped as well. Upcoming concerts include:

• July 11: Vancouver, BC
• September 13: Milwaukee, WI
• September 20: Calgary, AB
• September 27/28: Cincinnati, OH
• October 4: Raleigh, NC
• October 11: Tampa, FL
• November 1: Sacramento, CA
• November 15: Minneapolis, MN
• November 18/19: Salt Lake City, UT
• December 6: Dallas, TX
• January 2/3 2026: Baltimore, MD
• January 30/31: Toronto, ON

"A New World" is the smaller chamber orchestra performance; there are typically fewer of these shows and they play smaller venues. There are only four of those shows upcoming right now, going into this summer - two shows on April 19 in Seattle, and single shows on May 25 and July 12 in Atlanta and Hartford, CT respectively.

Many of the shows are on sale now, and others will be on sale soon. Check the source links below to find out more about shows near you.

Source: Distant Worlds, A New World

If you like your Final Fantasy smol and adorbs, Square Enix announced last week a new line of merchandise, coming next March, that will start to scratch that itch. The key item in the small collection, to me, is a new music album with twenty songs including one from every mainline game; this list contains a few tracks that seem like they would be pretty confusing to get the "cute" treatment, which really makes me all the more interested in hearing it. The album will be in CD format and will be the Japanese release even if bought worldwide, and is listed at $30.

The album art contains a new illustration with a ton of cute illustrations of Final Fantasy heroines and creatures, to the extent that I can't pick a favorite. The same art is reflected on some other merch, as well, but pretty standard fare including t-shirts and a tote. In my opinion, the keychain is probably the best option both based on price and how well the album cover design translates to the products.

Preorders for all of the merchandise are open now and preorders of the album also include a sticker of the new SQKawaii branding on the album cover.

Source: Square Enix Store

Many Warriors of Light were abuzz at the news that dropped earlier this week: a mobile version of Final Fantasy XIV is currently in production. Built by Lightspeed Studios, this is an officially licensed game from Square Enix.

What we know thus far:

• It's a sister game to the PC & console version, and will feature the story of A Realm Reborn.
• It includes multiplayer battles that have been optimized for mobile controls.
• It is not a gacha game.

This former player of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (may the global version rest in peace) is not surprised by that last item; I longed for Final Fantasy XIV units in that game but the rumor was that Naoki Yoshida, XIV's producer, did not like gacha games and would not approve much use of his game's materials in the mobile gacha games.

What remains to be seen is just how Final Fantasy XIV Mobile will monetize. The game will be free to play, so many fans are speculating that there will be a glamour cash shop much like its big sister has. According to FandomWire, Yoshida's goal is to create a sustainable, long-running game rather than a quick cash grab.

Fans can sign up for an email list to obtain the latest news about the new game at the official Final Fantasy XIV Mobile website.

Here's the official teaser trailer for your enjoyment:



Source: FandomWire, Official Final Fantasy XIV Mobile Site

Yesterday, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy XVI is just about ready to go for Windows PCs, with the release of a demo and announcement of the full release date: September 17 of this year.

It's a pretty good set of news for people who don't have a Playstation 5; the demo is the same as what was released for PS5, including the entire prologue chapter with the ability to transfer the game data into the full game. The base game is priced at a reasonable-for-Squenix $49.99, but for $69.99 you'll get the game plus both released DLCs, which is still minimum $5 less than PS5 players paid to get them at release. Preorders also get a few DLC items; two of them are similar to the bonuses for the PS5 preorder, and the third is an Orchestrion Roll that I genuinely can't remember now how one gets for PS5.

I haven't been much of a PC gamer for quite a while now, at least not for new games; the specs look pretty significant to me, though, and the requirement of having 170GB free on an SSD is definitely looking pretty intense. If you're curious, though - and you should be, because FF16 is a genuinely excellent game - now is a good time to grab the demo from either Steam or the Epic Store and see if your rig can manage it between now and mid-September.

Source: Square Enix