Final Fantasy Brave Exvius
A free-to-play Final Fantasy spin-off with gacha mechanics.
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was a free-to-play mobile role-playing game, co-developed by Alim and published by Square Enix for iOS and Android. As a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series, it marked the first joint project between Square Enix and Alim. By August 2019, the app had surpassed 40 million downloads worldwide. A tactical RPG spin-off, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, launched in Japan on November 14, 2019, and globally on March 25, 2020. The game ceased operations outside Japan on October 30, 2024, and in Japan on October 31, 2024.
Gameplay combined turn-based RPG mechanics from Final Fantasy with elements from Alim’s earlier title, Brave Frontier. The battle system used a simplified interface: players tapped a character’s attack button to command them, or swiped to access special attacks and items. Final Fantasy features like magic spells, character-specific limit breaks, and summonable creatures called Espers were included. Characters appeared in pixel art style. Through a gacha system, players summoned characters from past Final Fantasy and Brave Frontier titles, with rarity ranging from one to five stars; five-star units could be upgraded to six or seven stars. Players built custom parties of five units, plus a sixth borrowed from another player. Collaboration events added characters from other Square Enix properties like Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts, and Secret of Mana, as well as multiple versions of Ariana Grande and Katy Perry. Progression involved advancing through stages, defeating a final boss, and earning experience points, crafting materials, and currency.
Exploration stages, a new feature compared to Brave Frontier, let players freely navigate towns and areas using touch controls, interact with NPCs, shop, accept quests, gather resources, and fight random encounters. Hidden in these areas was the Fat Chocobo, who sold rare items in exchange for Star Quartz. An arena mode allowed players to compete against others’ teams. Limited-time story events added temporary stages and exploration zones.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Alim
- Publisher
- Square Enix
- Director
- Eiji Takahashi
- Producer
- Kei Hirono · Hiroki Fujimoto
- Writer
- Yukinori Kitajima · Nanako Saito
- Composer
- Noriyasu Agematsu
- Series
- Final Fantasy
- Platforms
- iOS, Android
- Released
- JP · October 22, 2015 · WW · June 30, 2016
- Genre
- Role-playing
- Modes
- Single-player
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The story of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius begins on the world of Lapis, where Magic Crystals and Visions—physical manifestations of thoughts and feelings—exist. The narrative follows Rain, a young knight from the Kingdom of Grandshelt who feels overshadowed by his father, Sir Raegan. Along with his childhood friend Lasswell, Rain encounters Fina, a young woman trapped in a crystal who leads them to the Earth Shrine, where the Earth Crystal is destroyed by the Veritas of the Dark, a member of the Sworn Six of Paladia. With Fina, a healer and archer who has lost her memory, Rain and Lasswell set out to stop the Veritas and his rampage.
Reader's Guide
Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was a significant entry in the mobile gaming market, helping Square Enix achieve profitability in 2015 alongside other mobile titles. Its combination of turn-based RPG gameplay, pixel art, and a gacha system attracted a large player base, with over 40 million downloads worldwide by August 2019. The game's revenue was substantial, with an estimated monthly revenue of $13 million in April 2018. It also spawned a tactical RPG spin-off, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, released in Japan on November 14, 2019, and globally on March 25, 2020. An enhanced offline remake titled Final Fantasy Resonance was announced in the June 2026 Nintendo Direct and is slated for release on multiple platforms on October 22, 2026. The game received mixed or average reviews from critics, with TouchArcade noting it may not entirely please either Final Fantasy or Brave Frontier fans.
Did You Know?
- The game was the first collaborative effort between Square Enix and Alim.
- Players could summon characters from Tomb Raider, Kingdom Hearts, and Secret of Mana through collaboration events.
- The game featured an arena mode where players could compete against teams of other players.
- An enhanced remake titled Final Fantasy Resonance is scheduled for release on October 22, 2026.
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