Welcome to Shinra News (formerly Current Events, Midgar Press and Bonga Bugle), the propaganda machine of the Shinra Electric Power Company, now hosted at the Final Fantasy Wiki. Here, special news pertaining to the Wiki and the Final Fantasy series that grab our attention will be reported for all to read. Anyone can start a news report, but be sure to leave the date, location, source and sign your report with three tildes (~~~) before sending in to the printing press.
News reports should be structured in a chronological manner, with recent issues posted at the top. To post a reaction or write a comment, follow the links provided according to the respective news link. Remember, only news related to the Wiki and to the Final Fantasy series are allowed. Let's work together as a community to maintain the newsletter! If you find that our reports are either incorrect or incomplete, feel free to edit them as you feel fit. Just be sure to include a note that you've edited it with (''Edited by'') along with those same ~~~ below the original reporter's name.
After reporting news, please place a mention of it along with a direct link to that section on this page: /News Box, so that it will appear on the Main Page. To save space, please limit news entries on the News Box to only five.
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Old news articles are in the Archives:
- Archive I - 2006
- Archive II - 2007
- Archive III - 2008
- Archive IV - 2009
- Archive V - 2010
- Archive VI - 2011
- Archive VII - 2012
- Archive VIII - 2013
- Archive IX - 2014
- Archive X - 2015
- Archive XI - 2016
- Archive XII - 2017
- Archive XIII - 2018
June[]
Wire reports: Final Fantasy VIII tapped for remaster[]
June 11 (Posted by Swordzmanp236 (talk))
Ending a 21-year absence since its initial release, Square Enix has announced that they are moving forward with a remaster of the adventures of Squall Leonhart and his friends as they train to become the world's most elite mercenary force. Details are still forthcoming, The remaster is expected to release on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and Steam.
Final Fantasy VII Remake release date announced[]
June 10 by Keltainentoukokuu
A new teaser trailer for Final Fantasy VII Remake revealed during "A Symphonic Reunion" tribute concert reveals the worldwide release date as March 3, 2020 for PlayStation 4.
May[]
PSA: Nintendo and Sony issue rare one-two punch to software bugs[]
May 31 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Players, take note: the Nintendo 3DS is far from dead. Big N issues firmware 11.10.0-43 for the seven-year-old family of handheld devices. According to release data found in NintendoLife, the update contains fixes for software performance issues, and is the first to be released for 2019. On the same day, rival Sony delivered OS 6.70 for PlayStation 4, also promising stability improvements. Both updates are live now.
Final Fantasy Record Keeper to dump more obsolete and obscure Android hardware[]
May 16 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Per in-game announcement, Final Fantasy Record Keeper is scheduled to end service for most devices running the Android 4.x line of operating systems by mid-June. DeNA Games will also be terminating Android for x86 support in the upcoming client revision. Affected devices are listed in the in-game announcement. Most were manufactured between 2011 and 2015. Users are therefore advised to upgrade to Android 5.0 “Lollipop“ or later. This follows a similar purge that occurred in early 2018, when Android 2.3 had been dropped.
April[]
Zombie April Fool's gag segues into latest Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia seasonal drive[]
April 11 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Though the April Fool's gag is long gone, the Kactuars that started it will be sticking around until May 3 as part of a newly-launched spring campaign in the mobile fighter. Readers can play A Kactuar Konundrum along with more events to claim 1,000 free gems and other rewards in the token exchange. Knight's Honor, featuring Agrias is also now live.
Final Fantasy VI celebrates silver anniversary[]
April 2 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Square Enix/DFFOO/Twitter)
9998, 9999, 10000! Whew, that's all of them!
On this day 25 years ago, the Final Fantasy series reached a turning point in its development when Terra, Locke, and the rest of the gang battled to foil maniacal jester Kefka's dream of conquest.
What's your favorite memory of this ageless classic?
Other notes from today[]
- Final Fantasy VII Remake adds Naoki Hamaguchi as co-director (via Final Fantasy Union)
March[]
Two more titles release[]
March 27 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit:Twitter)
Today's news roundup sees both Final Fantasy VII and the latest subchapter of Final Fantasy XV getting their long-awaited releases on Xbox One, with the former also making its debut on the Nintendo Switch and the latter making its debut on PlayStation 4. Square Enix accompanied Episode Ardyn's launch with a livestream as of 3:00 pm PDT. Meanwhile, the company also launched a cross promotion with Kung Fu Tea in the US to gear up for next month's release of the Final Fantasy X series.
[]
March 24 (Posted March 25 by Swordzmanp236 (talk))
In another surprise announcement over the weekend, the Stormblood antagonist will be joining the ranks of Spiritus’s chosen. Zenos will be the seventh character to join the three-on-three brawler since launch, and the first villain from Final Fantasy XIV. Full details are yet to be released.
Other notes from today (March 25)[]
- Apple unwraps iOS 12.2, doubles down on streaming, and adds gaming service; Hironobu Sakaguchi and Mistwalker aboard.
- Final Fantasy XV preps for Episode Ardyn launch, smacks bugs in new patch.
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper kicks off 5th year with a flourish.
More Shadowbringers details emerge during Final Fantasy XIV Japan fanfest opener[]
March 23 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
With three months to go until the highly-anticipated third expansion of the 2013 MMO, its development staff opened this weekend‘s fan gathering with lots of new detail. New story elements and races are expected to make several callbacks to the series’ past. Also revealed at the keynote was additional information regarding single-gender races; the Viera announced earlier this year will be female, while the Ronso-inspired Hrothgar will be male.
Shadowbringers is set for a July 2 release on PCs and the PlayStation 4, with early access beginning in late June.
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia team acknowledges UX bugs, comps all players[]
March 20 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Square Enix/DFFOO)
After several weeks of pressure from Android users on its social feeds, Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia devs are investigating user interface bugs that cause some graphics to display improperly on that platform. As a result of these issues, certain in-game events will be extended a full two weeks. iOS users are included in this latest compensation package. Events originally scheduled to close tonight will now end around April 4, 2019. The development team also says that a fix for the bugs will be included in a future update.
UPDATE (Mar 27): Version 1.8.1 is available now for all current devices. In addition to fixing various UI issues, it also addresses crashing in iOS under specific conditions. All players have been compensated 500 💎 (Gems) as part of the patch. A full schedule of April events has also been posted in-game and on Twitter..
Other notes from today[]
- Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy! flies across the globe.
- Final Fantasy Record Keeper returns from overnight overhaul with more augments, new weapons as countdown to 4th birthday rolls on.
PSA: System update for PlayStation 4 forges bond with iOS, companion app released[]
March 7 (Posted March 9 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)) (Credit: SIE Support US)
SIE's Remote Play remote-access technology comes to Apple's mobile platform with the release of PS4 OS 6.50. The division has also published a companion app in the App Store that requires iOS 12.1 and later. More information can be found at the link in the headline.
Remote Play allows for specific Sony-branded hardware, including the PlayStation Vita and high-end Xperia mobile phones, to interface with the PS4 as an alternate screen when paired with a compatible controller and operate the console from any Internet connection. The iOS version instead uses a software overlay to replace the controller.
Final Fantasy Portal App recap: Furious February means everybody wins![]
March 3 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Square Enix/Portal App, DeNA/Record Keeper, @DissidiaFFOO)
We don't always cover the Portal App, but when we do, it's huge:
- The volume of news in February allowed visitors to rack up >1,300,000 points.
- Next up: a Final Fantasy Record Keeper point drive for March.
The February point drive was particularly beneficial to players of Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia, where a recent mobile stream also handed out in-game rewards.
Combined rewards to be delivered Monday include:
- 35 Draw Tickets
- 20 Armor Tokens
- 15x6 High Shards
- 3 Power Tokens
- 1,000 Gems
The Portal App is available free for both iOS and Android, and offers rewards in many Final Fantasy mobile titles month-to-month for browsing its site.
February[]
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT freemium gets green light for March 12[]
February 28 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Square Enix/FF Portal)
A release date has been set for the "lite" version of the brawler, which is set to roll out on PlayStation 4 and Steam less than two weeks from today. Free Edition offers a rotating cast of fighters per week, with options to buy new fighters and gear on demand. Crossplay with the full game will be supported, but a PS Plus subscription will be required for online play.
ICYMI[]
- Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia: New features rolling out; gaffe causes re-issue of some 1st Anniversary events; Season 2 rollout begins in March, full schedule posted. (@DissidiaFFOO)
- Contest: Enter via Final Fantasy Record Keeper for a chance at Kingdom Hearts merch.
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius team issues mea culpa re: bug-ridden upgrade, promises major fix by 28 Feb[]
February 26 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Facebook via @FFBE_EN on Twitter)
An investigation by the Brave Exvius operations team yesterday confirmed multiple bugs in client version 3.4.0 that caused a series of disruptions when it rolled out earlier this month. In response, developers shared a statement of apology on all social media channels. The collectathon spinoff is due to receive another update this Thursday, which will launch with a sizeable compensation package for all players. Details of the issues and the resolution can be found using the link provided in this article.
UPDATE (Mar 2): Client version 3.4.5 is live as of Friday morning. A supplementary data update of ~250 MB will follow for existing players.
Other notes from today[]
- King Mog wants you to join him for dinner in Boston 31 March, kupo! (@FFBE_EN)
- Dissidia NT issues another bug-zapper (DFFNT patch log for PS4).
- Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia wraps up first anniversary; Auron chapter now live; more characters to get broken.
Pre-order queues now open for "classic" remasters on Xbox One and Nintendo Switch[]
February 25 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: Square Enix/Final Fantasy Portal)
Square Enix announced that pre-orders are now live for both Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age for the two remaining eighth-gen consoles. Previously announced in September 2018 and confirmed in January, the two enhanced remakes are set for a late April relaunch on the Microsoft and Nintendo flagships. Both versions of each title will also receive a physical release with an exclusive first-print reversible cover sheet included as a pre-order bonus.
UPDATE (Feb 26): Pre-order queues are also open for Final Fantasy VII, due to release March 26 for these same platforms. The Hall of Fame title will be the third in the series to become available universally on current-generation hardware. Further details have yet to be released.
All titles and their respective remasters were initially exclusive to the PlayStation family of consoles before being repackaged for PCs. Each game received favorable acclaim from both critics and players upon release in 1997, 2001 and 2005-06, respectively.
Updated February 26 with information on FFVII pre-orders. (Credit: Twitter)
Final Fantasy XV media dump; Episode Ardyn Prologue released, Episode Ardyn DLC dated, Dawn of the Future novelization announced[]
February 17 by Crystal Tear
Following its preview at Katsucon 2019, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn – Prologue was released through the official Final Fantasy XV YouTube channel. Produced by anime studio Satelight under Square Enix's supervision, the anime short depicts the fall of Ardyn Lucis Caelum and the rise of his brother Somnus. At the end of the anime, a trailer for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn reveals its release date of March 26, 2019.
Also announced was Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn of the Future-, a novel revealing an alternate series of events to those of Final Fantasy XV. Originally planned as a tetralogy of DLC episodes, all but Episode Ardyn were cancelled in November 2018, but the team stated their wish to release it in another form. Written by Jun Eishima (the penname of Emi Nagashima) based on the DLC draft by the game's development team, it is scheduled for release in Japan on April 24, 2019. An English version is also in production.
A "Final Fantasy XV -The Dawn of the Future- Celebration Box" is set for release alongside the novel. It includes The Dawn of the Future, a poster, decorated coaster, an art book, and a Blu-ray release of Episode Ardyn Prologue.
Sources: Gematsu, Episode Ardyn staff interview, Square Enix Store Japan, Final Fantasy XV Japanese Twitter
Kweh? Kweeeh?! K-KWEEEEEEEHHHH!! Final Fantasy IX arrives on more platforms as new Chocobo game cranks up pre-orders[]
February 13 by Swordzmanp236 (talk) (Credit: @FFWiki, @SquareEnixUSA)
Arriving on a wing and a Square:
- Final Fantasy IX takes flight on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and Windows 10.
- Pre-orders for Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy! begin, with bonuses.
- Final Fantasy VII shipping out to non-Sony platforms March 26.
- Get ready for Princess of Alexandria in Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia as it becomes permanent.
Livestream reveals new Final Fantasy XIV updates[]
February 4 by Swordzmanp236
We've been keeping up with a deluge of new Final Fantasy XIV reveals:
- Shadowbringers is set for release July 2, sounding the final bell for 32-bit Windows players. Early access begins June 28.
- A new leporine race, the Viera, will join the cast.
- New jobs, stories and regions are being planned for future updates.
- A collaboration with NieR:Automata
- A bucketful of pre-order bonuses.
Final Fantasy XIV x Final Fantasy XV event coming in April 2019[]
February 3rd by Keltainentoukokuu
The collaboration will feature Noctis Lucis Caelum entering the world of Hydaelyn with the Regalia, where he will join the Warrior of Light in battle against magitek infantry, magitek armor, and even the Messenger, Garuda hailing from Eos.
Bombarded with download requests lately? Apple policy change confuses some, frustrates others[]
February 2 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Recent updates to two Final Fantasy smartphone apps have added a controversial new feature: data download prompts. While such prompts have always been in Mobius Final Fantasy, for example, the reminders are now appearing in Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. According to an FFBE Reddit, the prompts were added due to a January 1 policy change by Apple that requires users to be notified before extra data is downloaded. Apple has yet to implement a management mechanism for the new dialog boxes.
January[]
Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia kicks off Year Two with lots of goodies, but flubs patch[]
January 30 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Small update, big changes as DFFOO pops the bubbly on the first year:
- Four weeks of login bonus goods
- Triple daily rewards + crystals & Gems
- 3,000 Gems
- 20 Draw Tickets
- New stickers
- Armor Tokens
- New Power Tokens for weapon exchanges
- Two new events
- ...and a slate of stuff in February!
However, the update, numbered 1.6.1, came with a backend glitch that effectively reset some player data to first-run state. The player can resolve this issue by continuing through the opening cutscenes and setup screens as prompted. Existing data remains untouched. All players received 500 bonus Gems as compensation for this issue.
Kingdom Hearts returns to Final Fantasy Record Keeper in February with KHIII love[]
January 29 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Just announced via @FinalFantasy and @KINGDOMHEARTS on Twitter: an all-new collaboration featuring elements from the hot-off-the-presses third title in the franchise and Record Keeper, set for February 20. Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy last hooked up in early December on Brave Exvius. Record Keeper had its first inter-franchise collab in February 2018.
Kingdom Hearts III shipped in the US today, January 29, 2019, after a thirteen-year development cycle that has seen limited press coverage and massive speculation.
Updated 17:04 PST with launch date for collab.
Snow Villiers joins Dissidia Final Fantasy NT[]
January 28 by Keltainentoukokuu (Edited by Swordzmanp236 (talk) and OneEco (talk) )
Square Enix Japan posted a teaser trailer today, previewing the latest character to join the cast of Dissidia NT. Snow Villiers, ice-cold pugilist and self-proclaimed hero of the Lightning Saga, will appear in a future update of the 2018 brawler. Snow is not new to the Dissidia universe as he is already playable in Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia; however, this is the first time he appears in the main Dissidia canon.
Final Fantasy IX's Rose of May to bloom as Global Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia turns one[]
January 25 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Revealed during a First Anniversary Livestream on Twitch and Twitter, Beatrix is now set to appear in February as an international-first unit in the tactical fighter. The famed general of the Alexandrian royal guard has six other crossover appearances to date.
Dissidia NT bashes bugs in latest silent patch[]
January 24 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
PlayStation 4 owners were treated to a new package of crash-busting fixes for the 2018 brawler earlier in the day. The new patch, numbered 1.22, is also reported to include updated character data for Yuna that also zaps bugs. Patch notes have not yet been released.
Brave voyages: Trio drops in on Star Ocean universe as Starship GFSS-3214F drops Sophia on Lapis[]
January 22 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
The Star Ocean franchise brought back a popular collab, starting today, with a new event based on Final Fantasy Brave Exvius entitled Vision of New Beginnings. The storyline has Rain, Lasswell, and Fina suddenly warped to the far reaches of the galaxy in search of a way back home. The trio can also be recruited as individual units via gacha: Lasswell operates as an Attacker; Rain, a Defender; and Fina, a Healer.
As part of the collab, Sophia Esteed from Till the End of Time joins the Star Ocean cast making 7-star upgrades in Brave Exvius as revised events return.
The collab is set for three weeks in Star Ocean: Anamnesis, and two in Brave Exvius. Vision of New Beginnings is available now, while Star Ocean events return Friday, January 25.
Mobile games return after rare midday maintenance shutdown[]
January 14 by Swordzmanp236 (talk)
Didn't get your Dissidia Final Fantasy Opera Omnia or other mobile game fix Monday morning? Square Enix Bridge, the backbone network behind dozens of online games from Square Enix, revised its system in a four-hour maintenance window pre-announced on Friday. The outage occurred from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM PST (17:00-21:00 UTC), affecting a small number of titles. Further details were not released.
The company typically reserves large-scale maintenance projects for late-night hours, when workload is lightest.
First wave of Final Fantasy repackages to drop Spring 2019[]
January 10 by Gold Darkness (talk) Edited by Swordzmanp236 (talk) 21:16, January 10, 2019 (UTC)
Edited by Gold Darkness (talk) 04:07, January 11, 2019 (UTC)
Square Enix revealed a couple of release dates for a couple of Final Fantasy installments making their debut on Nintendo and Microsoft console platforms for the first time. These ports were originally announced alongside several other titles back in September 2018.
On April 16, 2019, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster will be making their way for the Nintendo Switch and the Xbox One. Then on April 30, 2019, both systems will see the release of Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.
Update 1: Release dates for Japan have been revealed as well: April 11 for Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster and April 25 for Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age.