Summary
- Apex Legends reveals details for the surprising collaboration with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, offering new game modes and cosmetics for fans of both franchises.
- Final Fantasy 7 Takeover mode replaces the unranked battle royale and introduces the Buster Sword R2R5 weapon with unique abilities and special moves.
- Players can acquire Materia Hop-Ups with different effects, unlock 36 cosmetics through packs, and earn event currency called Gil to purchase rewards and battle stars.
After a short teaser trailer during The Game Awards, Apex Legends has finally revealed all of the details for its surprising collaboration with Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The announcement, which took most people by surprise, could possibly be a way for some Final Fantasy fans to potentially check out the free-to-play shooter while giving fans of both franchises something to tide them over before one of 2024's most anticipated video games finally launches at the end of February.
The upcoming Apex Legends collaboration announcement arrived during The Game Awards 2023, teasing fans following the latest trailer and live performance for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. Opening with a shot of Cloud's buster sword, only for Apex Legends characters Wraith, Horizon, and Crypto to appear and teasing brand-new content. At that time, no other details were given outside of a start date on January 9, but thanks to a new trailer and accompanying Respawn blog post, fans now have all the details on new game modes, cosmetics, rewards, and more.
At the center of this new crossover event is the Final Fantasy 7 Takeover mode, which replaces the unranked battle royale from January 9th to the 30th. Fans can wield the new Buster Sword R2R5 weapon, which opens up new light and heavy attacks, can reduce damage by blocking, adds a dash to close the gap against enemy players, and gives players access to a limit break special move once a meter is filled. In addition, Materia Hop-Ups can be acquired, each with its own effects and bonuses based upon the Materia effects from past games like Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Players can obtain the Buster Sword from Care Packages, while materia can be found in Cactuar Ticks.
Materia Hop-Ups
Five different materia can be found during matches including:
- Blue Materia (Absorb HP) - Player heals when damaging enemies.
- Green Materia (Lightning) - When reloading an empty weapon, a shock nova is released which damages and slows nearby enemies.
- Purple Materia (Crit Rate Up) - Adds randomized crits for extra damage.
- Red Materia (Summon) - Summons a Nessie companion to attack enemies.
- Yellow Materia (Assess) - Damage enemies to see their remaining HP.
Apex Legends and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Cosmetics and Rewards
During this event, Apex Legends will have plenty of cosmetics for players to chase. Similar to previous Apex Legends collection events, the Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth crossover contains 36 items that can be unlocked through packs and include things like stickers, iconic legends skins, and the Buster Sword R5 Melee Cosmetic which is universal and can be equipped in place of an heirloom or fists. EA warns that this Buster Sword won't be coming to the store after the event ends, so unlocking it is the only way to acquire it.
To help with that, players can unlock an event currency called Gil, a reference to the Final Fantasy 7 currency, after completing various challenges and playing the new mode. The Reward Shop is the place where Gil can be spent, with a rotating inventory each week, or players can opt to purchase battle stars to continue progressing their seasonal battle pass. There are new challenges to complete each day, giving Apex Legends players ample opportunities to earn more.
However, for those who want a more direct way to pick up unique Final Fantasy 7 gear, Respawn is bringing all 6 Iconic Legend Cosmetic skins to the store starting on January 9 and going until February 6. Wraith's outfit called 7th Heaven Skirmisher is based on Tifa, Crypto gets a Cloud-style skin, Horizon's "Flower Girl" outfit is supposed to be Aerith, Valkyrie and Wattson have outfits inspired by Yuffie, and finally, Newcastle becomes a Barrett look-a-like. It's worth noting that, unlike crossovers in other live service games like Fortnite, these cosmetics don't change the Apex Legends characters into their Final Fantasy counterparts, they're simply inspired by them, which has seemingly left a few fans feeling a little disappointed.
Apex Legends
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 74%
- Released
- February 4, 2019
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Respawn Entertainment
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Engine
- Source on console/PC, Unreal Engine 4 on mobile
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
WHERE TO PLAY
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Hero shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier.
Master an ever-growing roster of diverse legends, deep tactical squad play, and bold new innovations that go beyond the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Hero Shooter.
This game includes optional in-game purchases of virtual currency that can be used to acquire virtual in-game items, including a random selection of virtual in-game items.
- Platform(s)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android, Switch
- Genre(s)
- Battle Royale, First-Person Shooter
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- PC, PS4, Switch & Xbox One
