Square Enix Just Loaded Switch 2 With Three Final Fantasy Games, but One Hides a Major Catch

Final Fantasy Resonance marks the historic arrival of the franchise into the HD-2D aesthetic, that distinctive visual style mixing 3D environments with retro pixel art characters that Square Enix made famous with Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy. The title draws directly from the narrative arc of Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the gacha mobile game launched in 2015 whose international servers shut down in October 2024 with the Japanese version following in October 2025. Developers stress this isn’t a straight port but a fully reworked adventure built specifically for console, stripped of the gacha business model that had drawn flak for its mobile predecessor.

The combat system runs on classic turn-based mechanics, staying true to the fundamentals that have anchored Final Fantasy‘s identity since the franchise’s earliest days. The adventure packs in the licence’s signature features with chocobo mounts, airships, and magical summons rebranded as Visions in this entry. Players will also rub shoulders with legendary franchise heroes like Cloud Strife, Terra Branford, Squall Leonhart, and Tidus, all summonable in combat as iconic figures from the series’ history.

The story follows Rain, a knight of the Grandshelt kingdom, on a quest to save a woman trapped inside a crystal in the world of Lapis. Development was handed to Japanese studio Lancarse, already behind The DioField Chronicle, which rebuilds the Brave Exvius universe in the same vein as last December’s Octopath Traveler 0. For a deeper dive into this unexpected resurrection, our dedicated Final Fantasy Resonance article breaks down how Square Enix carefully glossed over the title’s mobile origins during the showcase.

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Final Fantasy Resonance drops on October 22, 2026 across five platforms simultaneously, namely Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC (via Steam and Microsoft Store). The Standard Edition lands at $49.99, in line with Square Enix‘s usual pricing for productions of this scale.

The publisher is also rolling out a Digital Deluxe Edition at $59.99 packing exclusive virtual goodies, including a mechanical armor skin for chocobos and a magical grimoire that teaches the Meteor Rain combat technique. The physical Collector’s Edition climbs to $209.99 with a hefty bundle weighing over two kilos, featuring acrylic display blocks of heroes and bosses, a hardcover art book running 120 pages, a four-disc soundtrack set with 120 music tracks composed in part by Noriyasu Agematsu, and an exclusive card featuring Dark Fina for the franchise’s official trading card game.

Final Fantasy XIV Online makes the first jump in its history onto a Nintendo console with its planned arrival on Switch 2 in August 2026. This long-awaited portability for fans of Naoki Yoshida‘s beloved MMORPG marks a major turning point in Square Enix‘s multi-platform strategy, after more than a decade of PC, PlayStation, and Xbox exclusivity. The publisher is also planning a roughly one-month early access window ahead of the official launch, a technical workaround that lets developers stress-test servers with a limited audience before the global rollout.

And here’s where the catch lurks: unlike every other platform where a single subscription unlocks the game across PC, PS5, and Xbox, the Switch 2 version requires an entirely separate subscription. In practical terms, a player already subscribed to play on PlayStation 5 or PC will need to fork over a second monthly subscription if they also want to dive in on their Switch 2. Square Enix is softening the blow with a 50% discount on the Switch 2 subscription for players already subscribed on another platform, but the monthly bill still climbs for veterans of Eorzea.

To take some of the edge off, the publisher confirms that players won’t need a paid Nintendo Switch Online subscription to explore the game’s online world, a notable exception in Nintendo’s ecosystem. Cross-progression is also maintained with other platforms, letting players bring over their existing character and progression to Switch 2. The version will also support Joy-Con mouse functionality, and the major Evercold expansion will remain available to Switch 2 players when it drops in January 2027.

Le lancement de Final Fantasy XIV Online sur Switch 2 est calé sur le mois d’août 2026, sans date précise communiquée à ce jour par Square Enix. L’éditeur propose deux versions du jeu de base, l’édition Starter à 19,99 € contenant les chapitres initiaux et l’édition Complete à 59,99 € regroupant l’ensemble des extensions sorties jusqu’à Dawntrail 7.5. La phase d’accès anticipé d’environ un mois reste accessible gratuitement aux acheteurs avant le déploiement officiel des serveurs.

L’abonnement mensuel séparé reste obligatoire pour accéder aux serveurs, avec la réduction de 50 % accordée aux joueurs disposant déjà d’un abonnement actif sur une autre plateforme. La cross-progression maintenue offre un avantage pour les vétérans souhaitant récupérer leur personnage, mais l’investissement financier double sur le long terme pour les joueurs multi-plateformes souhaitant naviguer entre leur PS5 ou leur PC et leur nouvelle console Nintendo.

Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster bundles the two iconic entries originally released in 2001 and 2003 on PlayStation 2 into a single compilation, having already made its way to multiple platforms but now scoring a new lease on life on Switch 2. This release lines up with the twenty-fifth anniversary of the tenth entry in Japan, a major milestone Square Enix is celebrating with a wave of merchandise, new arranged soundtracks, and art books dedicated to Tidus and Yuna.

The anniversary celebration ships with a brand-new FFX 25th Anniversary Logo drawn by Tetsuya Nomura specifically for the occasion. The compilation also packs the arranged soundtrack, the International content that originally never made it overseas, and the Will audio drama set chronologically after the events of both games, delivering a fresh narrative epilogue for longtime fans of the Spira saga.

The major addition for this Switch 2 release lies in the Game Boost function, previously available on the PC version but never before on console. Players can now tweak game speed with a high-speed mode to fast-track the adventure, toggle off random encounters with a single switch to roam the world uninterrupted, and beef up characters according to their preferences. These quality-of-life options completely transform the experience for veterans looking to relive the journey or for newcomers less keen to grind through the original.

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The digital version of Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster drops on July 23, 2026 exclusively on the Switch 2 Nintendo eShop, at a $49.99 price tag. Square Enix is upfront that no worldwide physical edition is in the cards for now, which may disappoint Western collectors used to boxed releases.

A limited physical edition is launching on August 27, 2026 but only in Japan and Asia, under the game-key card format Nintendo has rolled out for Switch 2 releases. This anniversary version comes with an exclusive sleeve case sporting the official FFX 25th Anniversary Logo, a collector’s item that may quickly skyrocket on the resale market for Western fans shut out from any boxed version.