Though Square Enix is known for its console blockbusters such as Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, it’s been making big push in mobile. This includes a Final Fantasy XV massively multiplayer online game for mobile or with developer MZ (Game of War, Mobile Strike) as well as Final Fantasy: Brave Exvius with A-lim and Gumi (Brave Frontier).
Since Brave Exvius’s launch in Japan, the game has been downloaded 20 million times. According to App Annie, Brave Exvius ranks No. 110 in the U.S. Apple App Store for adventure games and No. 32 in the U.S. Google Play Store for role-playing games. Brave Exvius hasn’t been a blow-out success like the recent Final Fantasy XV on console, which became the fastest-selling game in the series when it was released in November 2016 and was considered to be a return to top form.
“Brave Exvius is doing comparatively well, with just under 5 million monthly active user, or roughly double [Final Fantasy] Record Keeper,” says Joost van Dreunen, CEO of the market research firm SuperData. “It is a bit too early to determine whether Square Enix has successfully claimed its share of the mobile market, but the company is on the right path.”
Brave Exvius incorporates elements from both the Final Fantasy franchise as well as mobile role-playing game Brave Frontier. It’s a turn-based RPG with pared-down controls designed for a mobile interface. When not battling monsters and bosses in the dungeon or other players in the Arena, players can also talk to characters in town and go on side quests. Characters from both Final Fantasy and Brave Frontier also make cameos and can be summoned in battle.
Coinciding nicely with the 30-year anniversary of the Final Fantasy franchise, which debuted in December 1987, Brave Exvius is now celebrating the one-year anniversary of its worldwide launch. To commemorate the milestone, Square Enix is hosting a series of Fan Festa events, the first of which will be on July 8, 2017 in Paris, France. Events will feature a developer talk as well as a chance to win prizes and gameplay challenges. To get a ticket, fans will need to register with their player ID. It’s unclear whether those who get to attend will also get a sip from the infamous $950 Final Fantasy wine set.
