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Final Fantasy Resonance 2026
Final Fantasy Resonance is a 2026 role-playing video game developed by Square Enix and Lancarse and published by Square Enix. It adapts the first story arc, “Lapis,” from the 2015 mobile game Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. This title marks the first HD-2D game in the Final Fantasy series and serves as a tribute to the franchise's 40th anniversary.
Final Fantasy Resonance launched on 22 October 2026 for Nintendo Switch 2, PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S. A demo became available on 3 September 2026 covering chapter 1, with save data transferring to the full version.
In gameplay, Final Fantasy Resonance uses traditional turn-based combat instead of the ATB system found in past entries in the series. Each main party member has a set role and specialty; for example, the protagonist Rain focuses on physical and fire attacks, Lasswell specializes in ice attacks, and Fina handles light-based attacks and white magic. Enemies can be stunned by reducing their stagger bar through damage and targeting their weaknesses. When an enemy is stunned, the character who caused it gets an extra turn. If all enemies are staggered during a battle, the party enters a “sweeping stagger” state where every active member receives an additional turn. Characters can also perform “Limit Bursts,” special abilities that activate when the party takes enough damage during combat.
Players can summon “Visions” — phantoms of legendary figures from across the Final Fantasy universe — to gain new capabilities during battles. Each Vision has its own elemental alignment and combat strengths. For instance, Cloud from Final Fantasy VII provides enhanced physical attacks and lightning magic, Y'shtola from XIV offers magical and supportive powers, and Clive from XVI grants fire and stagger abilities. Visions are typically found by discovering shrines in the overworld, where players must answer questions based on the character’s background and narrative. As characters use Visions in battle, they gain Vision Mastery levels, which grant passive buffs to the party member upon reaching certain thresholds. Some benefits can be equipped even when using a different Vision, while others provide permanent stat increases like more health or magic points. Fina also has access to Espers — powerful classic summons from the Final Fantasy series such as Ramuh and Shiva — who can support the party during battles. The main antagonist, Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, appears as a superboss.
The story follows Rain (Nobuhiko Okamoto / Clifford Chapin), Lasswell (Yusuke Kobayashi / Alejandro Saab), and Fina (Akane Fujita / Lizzie Freeman) as they attempt to protect the remaining crystals after the Earth Crystal is destroyed by Veritas of the Dark (Akio Otsuka / Ian Sinclair).
Development began when Keisuke Nakashima, associate producer of Brave Exvius, proposed a console version to Square Enix in 2020. He recognized that many potential players were turned off by the gacha elements of Brave Exvius and felt it was time to create a more classic Final Fantasy experience with turn-based combat and high-quality cinematic pixel art. While appreciating recent action-oriented entries, Nakashima emphasized the importance of deep strategic thinking for team composition and party builds in this title. Initially, Square Enix executives were skeptical, expecting only a basic port of the mobile game. However, Nakashima insisted on creating a full console experience, which led to the project’s official approval in 2020.
A small team from Brave Exvius started prototyping work for the console version. Over the first few years, they explored various artistic directions before settling on an “HD-2D” visual style, already popularized by Square Enix RPGs such as Octopath Traveler, which launched in 2018. The team also received input from Team Asano, the subsidiary behind Octopath Traveler, offering guidance on character backstories and location detail, including the Dwarven Forge with its tables and furniture. For gameplay enhancements, they introduced a more conventional overworld map along with numerous side quests, optional minigames like jumping rope reminiscent of Final Fantasy IX, and a multi-tiered arena for battling monsters. The “chain” system from Brave Exvius was replaced with a standard turn-based battle system incorporating a stagger mechanic, a feature common in mainline Final Fantasy titles since XIII. The “Visions” mechanic was reimagined to resemble a Job system found in games like Final Fantasy V, turning guest characters into phantoms that players could equip to boost abilities. Collaborations such as 2B from Nier, Sora from Kingdom Hearts, and celebrity appearances like Ariana Grande and Katy Perry were removed from this adaptation.
The soundtrack for Final Fantasy Resonance is scheduled for release on 28 October 2026. It will include 87 tracks previously used in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius and 33 new compositions by returning composer Noriyasu Agematsu.
Final Fantasy Resonance garnered “generally favorable” reviews from critics, according to Metacritic. OpenCritic found that 90% of reviewers recommended the game.
Crew
- Director
- Hiroto Furuya
- Artist
- Masahiro Saitou
- Writer
- Yukinori Kitajima
- Producer
- Keisuke Nakashima
- Music
- Noriyasu Agematsu
Details
- Developer
- Lancarse, Square Enix Creative Studio I
- Publisher
- Square Enix Creative Studio I
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S
- Modes
- Single-player
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Series
- Final Fantasy
