Square Enix is marking the history of its country by establishing a national holiday to celebrate the legacy of its cult JRPG.
It is only in Japan that this kind of event can occur. On January 31, 1997, Final Fantasy VII was released for the first time in the Land of the Rising Sun, without even knowing that it was going to mark the history of video games for years to come. In 2022, the cult title celebrated its 25th anniversary, a celebration that led to numerous announcements, including the remaster of CrisisCore and the first details concerning the continuation of the Remake. If we will have to wait a little longer before to discover Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth in winter 2023the Square Enix game continues to be talked about.
The adventures of Cloud, Barrett, Tifa and the whole gang have become a veritable monument in the video game industry. To truly honor this title and its impact on the industry in Japan and around the world, he was bestowed with one of the highest honors. Final Fantasy VII will henceforth be celebrated every year on Japanese calendars.
FFVII day
No it’s not a joke, since January 31, 2023, the original release date of Final Fantasy VII has officially become a national holiday in Japan. The news was shared on Twitter by the official account of the game. In the freshly published tweet, there is a photo of the certificate, the producer of FF7: Remake as well as a message to fans around the world.
“January 31, 1997, the day Final Fantasy VII was released, is not only significant for the license, but also marks the beginning of many great things for the people who worked on this game. I remember being overwhelmed by the lightning speed at which video game technology was evolving, but also having dreamed of great things for the future. With the establishment of this official birthday, I will now remember all these things and keep them warm in my heart.“
This new national holiday does not give rise to a public holiday, but nevertheless falls under the importance of Final Fantasy and more broadly video games in Japanese culture. In Europe, the game’s anniversary date is set to November 14, while it is celebrated on September 7 in America. FF7 can therefore be celebrated three times a year, no less for such a cult title.
PS5 players can continue to rediscover this classic when Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth will point the tip of its nose exclusively on the Sony console by the end of 2023. It only remains to hope that the project is progressing well enough not to be postponed…
