War Of The Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Is Still Celebrating And Collaborating After Two And A Half Years

Two-and-a-half years ago, War of the Visions: Final Fantasy Brave Exvius came to mobile devices, bringing with it tactical RPG gameplay not seen in the Final Fantasy franchise since Final Fantasy Tactics. The result, even now two and a half years later, is a game that endures thanks to a strong player base and unique collaboration events.

WOTV FFBE recently celebrated the 2.5-year anniversary with a massive in-game event, which included a crossover event with Final Fantasy XIII. Lightning, Snow, and more were added as in-game units, while special FFXIII themed missions were made available for a limited time.

The game has crossed over with other Final Fantasy games in the past, however, the most surprising collaborations, however, have come outside of the video game realm. Ariana Grande entered the game in January 2017 with four in-game units that still frequently appear, while the current collaboration event sees TikTok influence Addison Rae join the ranks as well.

To learn more about the 2.5-year anniversary milestone, we spoke with producer Hiroki Fujimoto about choosing the two-and-a-half year mark to celebrate an anniversary, as well as how this celebration can bring in new players to get a taste of what WOTVFFBE has to offer.

We also speak about the team's approach to collaborations, both within the Final Fantasy franchise and outside of it, and how that helps build the fanbase. We explore where the team gets their ideas, how they evaluate each suggestion, and more.

This interview was conducted via email and edited for clarity.

How did the development of this game initially come together?

We released the global version of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in 2016, which has been played by many thanks to everyone’s support. FFBE was created as an evolution of the pixel art Final Fantasy titles, from FFI to FFVI. When considering the next project, we decided to develop a game based on the tactical RPG aspect of Final Fantasy Tactics, which was very popular within the Final Fantasy series, and at the time, an evolved version of the game had not yet been released.

As it celebrates its 2.5-year anniversary, how has War of the Visions’ goals changed through the years? Has the game changed dramatically in that time?

First of all, thank you for continuing to play War Of The Visions Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. Because of everyone’s support, we were able to ring in our 2.5-year anniversary. When we first released the game, our goal was to have as many players as possible play WOTVFFBE. That in itself remains unchanged today, but we are now also focused on making sure the current players are enjoying the game. To this end, we’ve added new elements such as Raid Boss Battles, EX Jobs, and Truststones, as well as improving the UI to make the game easier to play and making updates in order to have everyone enjoy it over a long period of time.

Why celebrate 2.5 years? It's not a typical anniversary milestone.

We thought we should have as many fun things as possible and decided to celebrate the half anniversary as well. I feel that the advantage of turning this into an anniversary is being able to host events that can be enjoyed by the players, such as special collaborations and log-in bonuses.

Is the game welcoming to newcomers? What incentives are available for new players to start now, 2.5 years after release?

Those who just started the game will receive a beginner’s log-in bonus, which includes 10,000 Visiore, the “Ifrit” Vision Card, and a Level 99 UR unit summon ticket. On top of that, we are running a new-registration campaign, in which players may obtain the “Ramuh” and “Chocobo” Vision Cards. By using these to build your party, I believe you’ll comfortably progress through the game, at least for a while. As you play, I would recommend raising more units to build an even stronger party.

What is the process of arranging collaborations with other Square Enix properties like internally or otherwise?

When considering a collaboration, we consult the IP holder with whom we will collaborate. What is important when pursuing a collaboration is whether or not there is a mutual benefit. We discuss what we can do in order to not only produce benefits on our side, but for the partner’s IP as well, and proceed upon reaching a mutual agreement.

How do you decide what collaborations to pursue?

We ask which IPs people like during livestreams and fan events, keep our ears open to community feedback, and sometimes conduct market research to ponder about what titles players would especially enjoy.

What has been the most successful collaboration?

For us, we believe success depends on how much we can satisfy the players who have been eagerly awaiting the collaboration. We’ve received many differing comments, but we believe players have been able to enjoy every collaboration.

Can you offer a summary of the current story of War of the Visions and what is happening right now?

Part two, the War of the Gale Highlands, is now in its final stages, and we are finally facing the final battle with Sadali. Players will have to see for themselves how this battle will end. For those who have just begun playing the game, please enjoy the story from Part One. We hope you will enjoy this ensemble drama of love, friendship, betrayal, and hatred among the various characters.