Square Enix launches Final Fantasy Resonance, an HD-2D remake, at $49.99
Archived — this story has rotated out of today’s deck. It is kept here in full.
The gist
Square Enix launched Final Fantasy Resonance on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox and PC at $49.99.
It is the series' first HD-2D game, adapting a shut-down mobile title's first arc.
Background
Square Enix is the Japanese publisher and developer behind the Final Fantasy series. Resonance is its first HD-2D title in the franchise — a style Square Enix debuted with Octopath Traveler — and it adapts the first story arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, a 2015 free-to-play mobile game shut down in 2024. Square Enix says the console release is "extensively rebuilt" rather than a straight port, and confirmed guest characters Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, Tidus from Final Fantasy X and the Warrior of Light.
How it unfolded
- Jun 2026The official announcement trailer for Final Fantasy: Resonance aired at Nintendo Direct.
- Sep 2026Square Enix showed the game at Tokyo Game Show 2026, letting visitors try it out alongside Final Fantasy VII Revelation.
- Oct 14, 2026Famitsu published the first official review, scoring 9/9/9/9 (36/40), with a main story of about 20-30 hours and full completion around 70 hours.
- Oct 19, 2026Listings identified a Japanese release date of October 22, 2026 for Switch 2, with other platforms October 22 to 23.
- Oct 20, 2026IGN published first-minutes Switch 2 gameplay, while Windows Central and Inven Global published reviews.
- Oct 21, 2026North American PS5 and Xbox Series X|S players could start at 9:00 PM PT, with other regions following midnight regional release on October 22.
- Oct 22, 2026The game launched on Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC at $49.99, with a $59.99 Digital Deluxe Edition on Steam; Nintendo Life gave it 8/10 and Inven Global 8.1. Square Enix had not announced post-launch plans as of this date.
Who’s saying what
- Support
- Nintendo Life's reviewer called the finished product "a completely new, true-blue classic Final Fantasy" that builds from its source material instead of merely recycling it.
- Caution
- Inven Global's reviewer wrote that "if you were expecting something revolutionary, you might be disappointed."
- Support
- Windows Central's reviewer described the game as "a heartwarming return to form" despite some minor issues.
- Official
- Square Enix says the console release is "extensively rebuilt" rather than a straight port, describing the plot as "a tale of Crystals" with a strategic turn-based battle system with a modern twist.
Still unverified
The framing that Resonance "plays like a lost entry from earlier in the series" is review language, not an official classification from Square Enix.