Square Enix has a crucial day-one patch for Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles that restores an essential trick from the original 1998 version of the strategy JRPG

Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Longtime fans of the original JRPG will be pleased to hear that, yes, you can indeed steal the Genji equipment in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles – and it's all thanks to the power of the game's community, says Square Enix.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (as translated and discussed on Reddit), director Kazutoyo Maehiro reveals as much, explaining that developers received a lot of feedback from fans when Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles was first announced. Veteran players who had long loved the OG title (particularly the 1998 release in the US) expressed that they wish they could steal the Genji gear in the new remake.

According to Maehiro, Yasumi Matsuno, the director behind the iconic Final Fantasy Tactics from the 90s, shared similar hopes of seeing the equipment be made available to steal – a sentiment that Square Enix acted on. Following a day-one patch, players will indeed be able to steal the Genji armor in Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles, and unsurprisingly, fans are ecstatic to hear it… Poor, poor Elmdor.

"Yay! Time to leave Elmdor naked," exclaims one thrilled player. Another hilariously replies that, "I honestly love the idea that all of us see Elmdor as just a dude to mug in a back alley." Most of the other responses are genuinely just as funny, with a fan chiming in, "Elmdor is a man wearing bicycles as far as I'm concerned." Elsewhere in the thread, people share their excitement: "This is literally on the top of my list of things I wanted in this game."

It's understandable that so many folks were worried about not being able to steal what stands as one of the game's best heavy armor sets – after all, it couldn't be obtained in the Japanese version of Final Fantasy Tactics, nor was it available to thieve off Elmdor in The War of the Lions, the 2007 remake of the JRPG on the PlayStation Portable. That's why it's sort of a big deal that Square Enix is changing things up this time around.

Thankfully, there's not long left to wait until players get to steal the armor themselves. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles releases on September 30, leaving less than a month before the new JRPG is finally available to enjoy.

Looking forward to one of the most exciting new games yet? Read through our thoughts on the JRPG in our short Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles preview for more.

Anna Koselke
Staff Writer

After spending years with her head in various fantastical realms' clouds, Anna studied English Literature and then Medieval History at the University of Edinburgh, going on to specialize in narrative design and video game journalism as a writer. She has written for various publications since her postgraduate studies, including Dexerto, Fanbyte, GameSpot, IGN, PCGamesN, and more. When she's not frantically trying to form words into coherent sentences, she's probably daydreaming about becoming a fairy druid and befriending every animal or she's spending a thousand (more) hours traversing the Underdark in Baldur's Gate 3. If you spot her away from her PC, you'll always find Anna with a fantasy book, a handheld video game console of some sort, and a Tamagotchi or two on hand.

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