Ariana Grande, who appeared as a summonable unit in the now-defunct Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, will not be returning for its successor, Final Fantasy Resonance. Producer Keisuke Nakashima stated that the decision was made to maintain the narrative and thematic integrity of the new game.
Final Fantasy Resonance is a reimagining of Brave Exvius, a mobile gacha game that Square Enix concluded in 2024. The original title featured guest appearances from several real-world pop stars, including Katy Perry, Addison Rae, and Ariana Grande, who was depicted in multiple summonable units inspired by her music and album art. However, the new RPG will instead feature "visions," or assist characters drawn from the broader Final Fantasy series' history, curated by Square Enix's Team Asano.
According to Nakashima, the development team evaluated potential assist characters based on their abilities, in-game balance, and personality to ensure a cohesive experience. "Unfortunately no," Nakashima responded when asked directly about the return of Grande's characters. "It’s also part of the worldview, you know? Ariana Grande’s character would not fit within the vibe that we’ve created for Final Fantasy Resonance."
Nakashima emphasized that Team Asano prioritizes refining the core gameplay experience. "Instead of thinking about DLC and additional content from the get-go, we’re trying to put all of our dev time into making sure that the base game is the best it can be," he explained. This approach means the current roster of assist characters is final, with no plans for future expansions or downloadable content.
The development team opted to focus on existing Final Fantasy protagonists and a select group of secondary characters, rather than reintroducing the extensive cast of over 2,000 units from Brave Exvius. This curated selection aims to enhance the narrative and gameplay integration within Resonance.
Final Fantasy Resonance is slated for release on October 22 for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S.