An Escalation Challenge (エクシードチャレンジ, Ekushīdo Charenji?, lit. Exceed Challenge) is a high-difficulty activity in Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis that endeavors to test the overall strength of a player party. Launched with the 1.5 Year Anniversary campaign in March 2025, these quests are typically paired with one or more events in a given month.
Rules and mechanics[]
To begin an Escalation Challenge, the player must first clear a corresponding event at EX difficulty or greater to unlock its event panel. Doing so will grant access to the Trial stage of the challenge, which the player must complete to continue to the main event.
The player will then have the opportunity to test their skills against the featured enemy in 20 or more stages, with each stage bestowing better stats and stronger skills upon the enemy in question. Individual stages need not be completed in sequence, but can also be completed in batches of up to five (5) per attempt (not exceeding the highest current multiple of 5), with the highest stage attempted receiving priority over others in its path. Completing each batch will also unlock the next batch until the highest stage can be reached and completed.
Any rewards collected are cumulative, and include a variety of items such as featured materia, Role Memories, Blue Crystals, and Escalation Medals that can be exchanged for various goods at regular intervals.
List of Escalation Challenges[]
| No. | Linked event | Opponent | Levels | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Odin: Vanquisher of Souls | Odin | 30 | ? | ? |
| Featured rewards | Quake (Cross), Quake Blow (Cross), Synth Catalyst - Dawns, Attacker's Noble Memories, Blue Crystals | ||||
| 2 | Egg Hunt Battle! Revenge of the Bunberry | Bunberry | 20 | ? | ? |
| Featured rewards | Blizzard (Circle), Blizzard Blow (Circle), Synth Catalyst - Evenings, Tank's Noble Memories, Blue Crystals | ||||
| 3 | Ever Crisis Academy Seven | Mr. B & Big Bad Aerith | 20 | ? | ? |
| Featured rewards | Aero (Triangle), Aero Blow (Triangle), Synth Catalyst - Evenings, Healer's Noble Memories, Blue Crystals | ||||
| 4 | Portal Battle: Angeal Penance | Angeal Penance | 20 | ? | ? |
| Featured rewards | Fire (Cross), Fire Blow (Cross), Synth Catalyst - Dawns, Attacker's Noble Memories, Blue Crystals | ||||
| 5 | Reawakened: Cackling Court Mage Kefka | Kefka | 20 | ? | ? |
| Featured rewards | Ruin (Cross), Blizzard (Triangle), Blizzard Blow (Triangle), Tank's Noble Memories, Blue Crystals | ||||
| 6 | The Pirate King's Challenge: Quest for the Lost Treasure | Leviathan & Bahamut | 20 | 25 Jun 2025 | 30 Jul 2025 |
| Featured rewards | |||||
| 7 | The All-knowing Slime & the Thespian SOLDIER | Banesword Sephiroth | 20 | 30 Jul 2025 | 6 Sep 2025 |
| Featured rewards | |||||
| 8 | Final Fantasy VII Advent Children EC Edition | Bahamut SIN | 20 | 6 Sep 2025 | 22 Sep 2025 |
| Featured rewards | |||||
| 9 | THE FIRST SOLDIER: Episode - Three Ex-SOLDIERs | Gallonboir Patres | 20 | 1 Oct 2025 | 29 Oct 2025 |
| Featured rewards | |||||
| 10 | Flash of Destiny | Lightning | 20 | 29 Oct 2025 | 26 Nov 2025 |