Final Fantasy 7 Remake's PowerWash Simulator crossover is canon, somehow

PowerWash Simulator
(Image credit: Futurlab)

PowerWash Simulator's new DLC is canon in Final Fantasy 7 Remake, and fans are kind of freaking out.

Earlier this month, the Midgar Special Pack debuted in PowerWash Simulator, transporting cleaners to the streets of Midgar for some powerwashing action. Players are tasked with cleaning out iconic Final Fantasy 7 gear like Cloud's Buster Sword, as well as the imposing Scorpion Sentinel (thankfully not in combat mode).

Now though, it's come to light that the Midgar Special Pack actually has a narrative for PowerWash Simulator players to delve into, and what's more, it's canonical in the events of Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It turns out the player gets texts from characters like Tifa and Reeve, helping them on through their cleaning duties and giving them in-world updates on current events in Midgar.

So, for example, you get message relieved that you weren't on cleaning duties when Cloud and company attacked Mako Reactor 1 in Final Fantasy 7's opening. In an interview with Touch Arcade, PowerWash Simulator lead designer Dan Chequer revealed Square Enix actively worked with Futurlab to approve every aspect of the DLC, including the narrative.

"Nomura is just built different," says Twitter reaction of the Final Fantasy 7 series creative director, renowned for putting vital game lore into supplementary material like this. "Leave it to Nomura to make Power Wash Simulator canon to FF7R" writes another similarly-amused Twitter user.

Fans of Cloud and Tifa are really eating up the new narrative. Like the Twitter user just below, for example, those who ship Cloud and Tifa are having a great time receiving texts from the characters in PowerWash Simulator, furthering the obvious romantic dynamic between the couple (in their words, not ours).

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Final Fantasy 7 Remake fans went berserk this Valentine's Day for Cloud and Tifa, so you can probably imagine how they're reacting to the new dynamic in PowerWash Simulator. Maybe we'll see more of this in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth later this year.

Check out our new games 2023 guide for a look at all the forthcoming games we've got to look forward to in the rest of the year. 

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.