Nearly a year after the launch of Final Fantasy 7 Remake on PS4, Square Enix announced that it was developing a new, enhanced version of the game exclusively for PS5. This upgraded edition, titled Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, was released on June 10, 2021, and it included an all-new side story featuring the cheerful ninja Yuffie Kisaragi, as well as improved graphics and additional frame rate settings. Although it came to PC via Epic Games Store in late 2021, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade has been a PlayStation console exclusive for more than four years. In 2026, however, it's finally going to make the jump to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S.
Square Enix confirmed during the recent Nintendo Direct that Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will be available on non-PlayStation consoles next January, shortly after the winter 2025 release window that the company had initially announced. Perhaps to compensate them for the years-long wait, Square Enix is giving players who pre-order the game on Nintendo and Xbox some bonuses that will only be available for a limited period of time. The digital version of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade on the Xbox and Nintendo storefronts currently comes with a copy of the original Final Fantasy 7 at no extra cost. More interestingly, though, the physical version of the game for Switch 2 includes a free Magic: The Gathering booster pack.
Even though other Square Enix games like Octopath Traveler 0 are receiving it, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is not getting a physical release on Xbox Series X/S.
Physical Copies of FF7 Remake Intergrade for the Switch 2 Will Come With MTG Booster Packs
It's pretty unusual to see a company bundle a booster pack from a popular TCG with its physical video games, but in this case, it actually makes complete sense. A few months ago, Wizards of the Coast released a major expansion for Magic: The Gathering themed entirely around Final Fantasy. While MTG is no stranger to collaborations with other franchises, Magic: The Gathering: Final Fantasy, as it's officially called, is the first crossover set in the entire game that's legal in the Standard play format. All the booster packs that are going be included with the physical Switch 2 copies of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will be from this set.
Aside From Final Fantasy, Many Other Video Game Franchises Have Had Collaborations with MTG
In Magic: The Gathering, most of the crossover sets are released under the Universes Beyond product line. This series, which was introduced by Wizards of the Coast in 2021, has featured a lot of video game franchises so far, aside from Final Fantasy. In 2022, Wizards of the Coast teamed up with Capcom to release a group of cards centered on the Street Fighter series. Later that year, the company also launched some re-skinned cards featuring characters and locations from Epic Games' Fortnite. Tomb Raider, Fallout, and Assassin's Creed have received sets/drops of their own, as well.
More Physical Video Games Should Come With MTG Booster Packs as Pre-Order Incentives
While it would be a tall order to request this for every relevant video game, it'd be nice if Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade's booster pack gimmick became more of a common occurrence in the future. Whenever a company launches a new installment in a gaming franchise that gets a Universes Beyond MTG set of its own, it should add an MTG booster pack to the physical copies of said games in order to incentivize pre-orders, just as Square Enix did. This could make players, especially those who are fans of Magic: The Gathering, less reluctant to buy a physical copy of a game, even if it's a game-key card, as is the case with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade.
Some of MTG's Upcoming Sets Should Get Cross-Promos With Certain Video Games
Currently, Wizards of the Coast hasn't announced any future MTG sets or products that feature other game franchises. However, there are a few sets themed around pop culture IPs that could be bundled with associated video games in some way. Assuming it actually exists, Wizards of the Coast could, for example, host a cross-promotion campaign involving the upcoming Marvel's Spider-Man set and Insomniac's rumored Venom game. In order for a potential campaign like this to work, however, the corresponding set and video game should be released at around the same time.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 86 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- June 10, 2021
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Language, Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
