Publisher Square Enix announced that a collectible card game featuring characters from its Final Fantasy series of console RPGs will see an English-language release in North America next month.
Produced in collaboration with Hobby Japan, the upcoming North American launch of Final Fantasy Trading Card Game follows up on a successful six-year run in Japan, where more than 3.5 million booster packs have been sold to date.
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game is a competitive fantasy-themed card game similar to Magic: The Gathering and other genre standouts. During each competitive round, players engage their opponents in battle by deploying cards featuring Final Fantasy series characters, each of which boasts its own unique stats and abilities.
Since its Japanese launch in 2010, Final Fantasy Trading Card Game has seen 15 expansions, giving players more than 2,000 different cards to collect and use in battle. The series will make its English-language debut next month with a 216-card set titled “Opus 1.” Opus 1 cards will be sold via blind-packaged booster packs and boxes at retail, and players will need to buy multiple packs in order to assemble a full set of 216 cards.
Longtime series fans will see many familiar faces in the initial Final Fantasy Trading Card Game card lineup, including characters from past series entries like Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy X. The set will also feature characters and settings from recent and upcoming series releases like Dissidia Final Fantasy, World of Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game follows up on a handful of digital trading card games featured throughout past Final Fantasy games. Series fans first got a taste of card-battling action with Final Fantasy VIII‘s “Triple Triad” minigame, while Final Fantasy IX offered an expanded take on the formula with its “Tetra Master” card game.
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game booster packs will hit retail outlets in North America on October 28.