Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, a mobile game that compiled various entries in the Final Fantasy 7 universe, is set to cease service on October 6th. This shutdown means that a significant portion of its content, specifically a remake of the Japan-only mobile prequel Before Crisis: Final Fantasy 7, will likely remain inaccessible to a global audience.
Before Crisis originally launched exclusively for Japanese mobile phones, chronicling the activities of the enigmatic Turks six years prior to the events of the original Final Fantasy 7. Directed by Hajime Tabata, who would later lead Final Fantasy 15, the game has historically been unplayable outside of Japan, with no emulation options available. Ever Crisis's inclusion of a remake of Before Crisis represented the first opportunity for international players to experience this narrative in English.
The first chapter of the Before Crisis remake was released concurrently with the announcement of Ever Crisis's shutdown. While Square Enix plans to release two more chapters in August and September, the full scope of the adaptation and whether it will be completed before the service ends remains uncertain.
The cessation of service for Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis is part of a broader trend for Square Enix, which has been winding down development on several of its mobile titles. The impending inaccessibility of Before Crisis through Ever Crisis is a point of disappointment for fans seeking to engage with the entirety of the Final Fantasy 7 Compilation.