Square Enix Announces Final Fantasy VII NFTs

Credit: Square Enix

Square Enix, a Japanese multinational entertainment conglomerate best known for its role playing video games (RPGs), has announced that it plans to launch a set of 207 Final Fantasy VII NFT trading cards called “Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum: Digital Card Plus.”

The cards will be available to customers in packs containing seven cards apiece, with six physical trading cards and one “digital trading card” or NFT. The cost for a pack will be $3.30. To view the digital trading card or NFT, customers will need to download an Enjin wallet. Enjin is a popular game development platform that runs on the Ethereum blockchain.

On Square Enix’s website detailing the trading card set, the company writes that collectors will not be able to resell the digital trading cards on a secondary market. In addition, Square Enix is retaining the copyright for the digital trading card content and makes a note that the NFT could become lost if Enjin goes bankrupt.

Final Fantasy VII is a critically acclaimed RPG released in 1997. It follows the story of Cloud Strife and a group of mercenaries who find themselves in a battle to save the planet. The trading card set appears to be a follow-up on the company’s 2022 plans to release FF7 NFT trading cards and a Cloud Strife digital action figure.

On the product website, Square Enix writes that the “Final Fantasy VII Anniversary Art Museum: Digital Card Plus” set will mark the 25th anniversary of the game.

Square Enix Prepares for NFTs and Blockchain Gaming

While the gaming community has largely rejected the use of NFTs in games, that hasn’t stopped major video game companies from pursuing Web3 technology. One of those companies is Square Enix. Here are three stories involving the Japanese company and its desire to integrate Web3 tech into its products.

First, three months ago, Square Enix invested 7 billion yen or $53 million in blockchain gaming company Gumi. The strategic partnership will allow Gumi to create blockchain games around Square Enix’s IP, most notably the Final Fantasy series. Gumi takes a unique approach to blockchain games called “Wow and Earn,” which means making games fun to play as well as financially profitable for users.

Next, eight months ago, Square Enix announced it would release Final Fantasy VII non-fungible tokens. The FF7 NFTs centered around a digital action figure of that game’s lead character — Cloud Strife — along with NFT trading cards. The company said the drop of the action figure will occur in November 2023.

Lastly, 11 months ago, Square Enix sold its Tomb Raider franchise to focus more on blockchain games. The buyer, Sweden’s Embracer Group, purchased the franchise for $300 million total. Embracer Group also received the IP rights to three other games: Legacy of Kain, Thief, and Deux Ex.

While the backlash from gamers has caused many video game companies to drop their NFT plans, Square Enix has continued to push forward. Here at Rarity Sniper, we’ll keep a close eye on further developments in the story.