Following the success of battle royale multiplayer games like Call of Duty: Warzone, PUBG, and Fortnite, Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier was released in 2021 for Android and iOS devices. Set 18 years before the events of the original Final Fantasy 7, the free-to-play game served as a prequel based on the creation of Shinra’s SOLDIER unit. Players were placed in the role of a Soldier candidate and played matches of up to 75 players. These matches combined the gameplay of battle royale games with elements from the Final Fantasy franchise, including weapons and accessories. Players were also able to customize their characters and explore different fighting styles.

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The First Soldier announced the closure last year, and the game comes to an end on January 11, 2023, less than 14 months after its release. An image was posted on the game’s official Twitter account thanking players, who responded with hundreds of comments and retweets. When the shutdown was announced, Square Enix ended the sale of Shinra Credits, the game’s premium currency, but continued to release updates regularly. Non-English language support came to an end in November last year, and to close out the final season of The First Soldier, one of the last events held was The Last Battle: Solo tournament.

Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier attracted a lot of attention from Final Fantasy fans because it was the first battle royale in the franchise. The announcement was met with positive feedback, which was reflected in the pre-registration campaign. The First Soldier reached 2 million pre-registrations, with players unlocking several rewards. The game had events and collaborations situated within the Final Fantasy universe, one of them celebrating the 25th anniversary of Final Fantasy 7’s release.

Closing a game is always a difficult decision, a decision that is even worse when it comes to a franchise as famous as Final Fantasy. In the game’s closing tweet, players lamented the news and expressed their fondness for The First Soldier. Several users also talked about how releasing the game for other platforms could have saved it from its ultimate fate. Now the attention of Final Fantasy fans turns to the next chapters of the franchise, including the release of the highly anticipated Final Fantasy 16.

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