Final Fantasy rhythm game literally unplayable on Feb 29 as Square Enix apparently didn't account for leap years

News
By published

"Square Enix y2k’d Theatrhythm"

THEATRHYTHM FINAL BAR LINE
(Image credit: Square Enix)

A fan of the Final Fantasy rhythm game, Theatrhythm, learned the hard way today that Square Enix didn't account for leap years.

Earlier today, February 29, Twitter user @Regulus_Tera shared their frustration over the fact that Theatrhythm Final Bar Line wouldn't boot up, despite the fact they have a physical copy of the game. "I wanted to boot Theatrhythm to do my dailies and the game is not booting up," the concerned fan explained. "Because it appears the game connects to a Square Enix server for whatever reason even though I have the physical copy."

 Just a few minutes later, the same user shared an update: "Holy shit Square Enix y2k’d Theatrhythm," alongside a screenshot of a Reddit post that explains the situation. "A solution has been found," the post begins. "For some reason, the game cannot work on February 29, presumably tied to leap years, and as such it'll black screen forever until you change the clock back to the 28th, and presumably any date after the 29th too."  

Latest Videos From

So if you just so happen to be getting your daily logins in the rhythm game today, be aware that you may have to change the date for it to work. According to the replies to the follow-up tweet, this seems to be the case for the Nintendo Switch version of Theatrhythm Final Bar Line and also the PS4 version as well. 

You can't blame Square Enix for potentially being a little too busy to roll out a proper fix right now. After all, February 29 also happens to be the release date of Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth which is now available on PS5. Speaking of the remaster, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth didn't always end where the original JRPG's most heart-wrenching twist occurs, but it soon became obvious that it's the "best turning point in the story."

If you're now lost without Theatrhythm, take a look at our best rhythm games list to find a replacement. 

Hope Bellingham
Hope Bellingham
News Writer

After studying Film Studies and Creative Writing at university, I was lucky enough to land a job as an intern at Player Two PR where I helped to release a number of indie titles. I then got even luckier when I became a Trainee News Writer at GamesRadar+ before being promoted to a fully-fledged News Writer after a year and a half of training.  My expertise lies in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, cozy indies, and The Last of Us, but especially in the Kingdom Hearts series. I'm also known to write about the odd Korean drama for the Entertainment team every now and then.