A lost Final Fantasy game will return in Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis

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The First Soldier was delisted and taken offline last year

Final Fantasy 7: The First Soldier
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis will be resurrecting a storyline from a now-defunct mobile game.

If you've forgotten about Final Fantasy 7 The First Soldier, we unfortunately can't blame you. The short-lived mobile game was a battle royale multiplayer spin-off from Square Enix, set 30 years before the events of Final Fantasy 7. Sadly, The First Soldier would shut down just 14 months after it debuted, with a server shutdown making the game unplayable. 

It turns out there's life yet for the battle royale game, sort of. When it launches next month, Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis will include the story of The First Soldier, effectively giving those who missed out on the game a chance to experience the original story set before Final Fantasy 7 and the rise of the evil Shinra Corporation.

It's a neat little preservation aspect. The First Soldier can't be downloaded or played anymore, and so all the effort and hard work from its developers is now lost to the ether. Ever Crisis is at least resurrecting its story, so at least the hard work of its narrative department is finally preserved. That's if Ever Crisis doesn't suddenly shut down, which we're really hoping it doesn't. 

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis is finally out next month on September 7, for iOS and Android devices alike. It's compiling the stories of The First Soldier, Crisis Core, and the original Final Fantasy 7 into one seamless, episodic experience, so you've basically got one massive resource to refer to before Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth launches early next year in 2024 and continues the remake trilogy.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look at all the other games you can play over the next few months. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.