Partway through The Game Awards 2021, viewers were treated to a trailer that began with the Epic Games Store logo before cutting to footage of Square Enix’sFinal Fantasy 7 Remake. This was an announcement that the acclaimed action-RPG reimagining of a classicFinal Fantasytitle and its PS5-basedIntergradeexpansion will be launching for PC on December 16, exclusive to Epic Games' storefront. However, one would be forgiven for thinking Epic Games was announcing characters like Sephiroth were joiningFortnite.
Sony has been actively getting its major exclusives onto PCof late, includingHorizon Zero Dawn,God of War(2018), andUncharted: Legacy of Thieves. It isn’t surprising to seeFinal Fantasy 7 Remakealso take the leap, especially given developer Square Enix is not a PlayStation-owned studio; though the fact it will be an Epic Games Store exclusive is a different twist. Given the pantheon of iconic video game characters in Epic Games' free-to-play battle royale, it seems likely this exclusivity deal could lead toFortnitehavingFinal Fantasy 7skins sooner rather than later.
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Fortnite’s Breadth of Crossovers
After the game exploded in popularity and inspired countless live-service titles,Fortnitehas become a bastion for pop culture crossovers. From television shows likeStranger Thingsto movies likeDune(2021), and even arecent collaboration with the animeNaruto,Fortniteseemingly has it all. Various companies have longstanding partnerships with Epic Games in this regard, from Disney offering a number ofStar Warsand Marvel Comics characters to WarnerMedia offering DC Comics representatives as well as standalone properties likeRick and Morty.
Video games have been just as lucrative for crossover skins, includingLeague of Legends' Jinx,Street Fighter’s Ryu, andTomb Raider’s Lara Croft. Major publisher Microsoft has been just as willing to put its big names on the line with Master Chief and anewFortnitecrossover starringGears of Warcharacters. Sony has done the same withHorizon Zero Dawn’s Aloy, as well asSpider-Mancharacters including the titular webhead, Venom, and Carnage. ThoughSpider-Manis a Marvel property, Sony Pictures owns the character’s film rights and he has become a staple of the PlayStation brand thanks to Insomniac’s adaptations and exclusivity in games like Crystal Dynamics’Marvel’s Avengers.
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Final Fantasy 7 Remake in Fortnite Seems Inevitable
Epic Games' growing pull in the entertainment industry means no crossover is farfetched (beyond a notable absence of Nintendo properties), andFinal Fantasy 7 Remakealready has a stronger connection than a series likeHaloassociated more with Microsoft’s Xbox Game Pass. Square Enix is keenly aware ofFinal Fantasy 7’s cultural import, with characters like Cloud and Sephiroth already crossing into titles likeSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate. ThoseFinal Fantasycharacters and more also appear in Square Enix’sKingdom Heartsfranchise, which itself is a massive crossover with Disney properties.
AsKingdom Hearts' take on Cloud and Sephirothalready appear alongside series likeTron, which is also inFortnite, it wouldn’t be a huge shock to see them join the battle royale. The Epic Games Store-exclusive launch forFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeon PC merely lines up the pins for an explosive marketing opportunity. Just as fans got to see Sephiroth defeat Galeem in his announcement trailer forSuper Smash Bros., he could just as easily defeat characters like Spider-Man or dispel the hurricanes characterizingFortnite’s Chapter 3, Season 1.
Fortnite’s crossovers have become more bold over time, with real-life cameos including Ariana Grande andDwayne “The Rock” Johnson even playing plot-relevant NPCs.Final Fantasyis one of the few huge non-Nintendo game franchises it has yet to explore, so something coinciding withFinal Fantasy 7 Remake’s PC release would make a lot of sense.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakeis available on PS4 and PS5, and it releases for PC on December 16.
