With the Final Fantasy series turning 35 this year, Square Enix is kicking off the occasion by teasing fans with a dedicated website and promises of lots of games to celebrate the occasion.
The Final Fantasy 35th Anniversary website went live today, with the expectation that new details will emerge there leading up to the actual anniversary on December 18. "In this 35th anniversary year, we will be bringing you many exciting new ways to enjoy the worlds of Final Fantasy," teased the website. Under a subsection titled "New Titles," it listed upcoming games Chocobo GP and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, with a small tease below, simply stating, "and more..."
Additionally, Final Fantasy VII producer Yoshinori Kitase had a message for fans. He thanked the fans for their years of support, pointing out that Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy XI all have significant anniversaries marked this year (30, 25, and 20, respectively). He noted, "This is only possible because of the long-lasting passionate support for each game in the FF series from fans like you." The message continued, promising that the new website will support upcoming releases and reveal new merchandise and titles.
This is just the beginning of a year promising many new releases for fans of the Final Fantasy series. On March 10, Square Enix is releasing the much anticipated Chocobo GP, which appears to be a Final Fantasy twist on the silly kart racing gameplay of Mario Kart. Chocobo GP, a sequel to the 1999 Final Fantasy spinoff game Chocobo Racing, will give players a chance to rase with dozens of fan-favorite Chocobo characters through familiar Final Fantasy locations.
Also releasing this month is Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins, an alternate universe remake of the 1987 Famicom game that started the Final Fantasy franchise. Stranger of Paradise promises to be a darker take on the story, providing fans with a challenging action RPG that retells the original story in time for the 35th anniversary.
Perhaps in line with the promised new merchandise celebrating the anniversary, Square Enix announced a toy line for one of Final Fantasy's most underrated series. Final Fantasy Tactics, a medieval fantasy strategy RPG located in the world of Ivalice, has not had a new release since 2007's Final Fantasy Tactics: War of the Lions. However, that isn't stopping Square Enix from releasing a new line of toys based on the much-beloved main characters from that series.
Chocobo GP releases exclusively to Nintendo Switch on March 10, 2022. Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origins releases March 18, 2022, for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4 and PC.
Source: Square Enix