For those who have been upset to listen to that pop star Ariana Grande would not return in Final Fantasy Resonance, a brand new mod is right here to save lots of the day.
In case you have been unaware, Sq. Enix’s Final Fantasy Resonance will arrive because the long-running RPG franchise’s first correct HD-2D recreation when it launches subsequent month, and it additionally occurs to be a little bit of a remake. The sport it is primarily based on, Final Fantasy Courageous Exvius, is a free-to-play recreation with turn-based gameplay that launched for iOS and Android gadgets in 2015 and shut down in 2025 – however what does that should do with Ariana Grande?
The performer behind hits like “break up along with your girlfriend, i am bored,” who additionally performed Galinda within the current Depraved movies, is not a newcomer for the Final Fantasy collection. Grande really joined Final Fantasy Courageous Exvius within the type of pixelated characters – together with one match along with her Harmful Lady period bunny outfit – in 2017. The announcement (beneath) even detailed some in-game love for the pop star’s music “Contact It,” however relating to Final Fantasy Resonance, Grande’s contribution to the collection will likely be misplaced to time.
Producer Keisuke Nakashima just lately confirmed to Kotaku that Grande “sadly” wouldn’t seem within the October Final Fantasy recreation. On the very least, it seems like a choice Sq. Enix put some thought into.
“It’s additionally a part of the worldview, you already know?” he instructed the location. “Ariana Grande’s character wouldn’t match throughout the vibe that we’ve created for Final Fantasy Resonance.”
Modders, it appears, disagree. As spotlighted by the FFR Imaginative and prescient Studio mod (through Eurogamer), Grande can really feel proper at residence again in Final Fantasy Resonance together with a set of different visitor characters. Meaning you may add different names like Sora from Kingdom Hearts and 2B from Nier Automata to affix the combat with only some clicks.
Take into account that that is all a couple of month earlier than the sport really comes out. From Grande to Sora, these characters are solely obtainable to affix Final Fantasy Resonance as a part of its just lately launched demo. The demo does, nonetheless, enable gamers to hold their progress over to the total launch, so it would not be a shock to see former Final Fantasy Courageous Exvius characters present up within the launch construct, too.
Final Fantasy Resonance launches for PC, Nintendo Swap, Swap 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X/S October 22, 2026. Till then, you may take a look at IGN’s remaining preview for the sport.
Michael Cripe
Michael Cripe is a contract author with IGN. He is greatest identified for his work at websites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure you give him a observe on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).
Photograph by Monica Schipper/Getty Photographs.