Granblue Fantasy is an immersive JRPG series which recently announced its 8th anniversary on March 6, celebrating this event with a momentous anniversary stream. Along with the usual praise and appreciation for such a fan-favorite series, an intriguing crossover was subsequently declared for fans of the ever-evolving MMORPG Final Fantasy 11.
This reveal has left many fans excited about a seemingly logical next step for both franchises. The Granblue Fantasy development teams are made up of previous Final Fantasy developers, strengthening the crossover announcement with similar gameplay features and a complimentary art style.
This latest crossover for the mobile game favorite has generated a lot of hype in Japan as well as internationally, leading to spinoffs such as Granblue Fantasy Versus for multiplayer tournaments. CyGames colliding the iconic MMORPG with another one of its beloved IPs means the fantastical setting of Granblue Fantasy will compliment the JRPG style. A short gameplay trailer was shown during Granblue's 8th anniversary livestream, with the release date of May 16 set to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Final Fantasy 11.
CyGames has previously held multiple collaboration events for Granblue Fantasy, achieved through an impressive character roster on display with additional DLC packs from other franchises. Recent examples include crossovers with Doraemon and characters from the darkly hilarious Gintama anime series. With the addition of Final Fantasy 11 being part of a dedicated game series, there is more potential for including renowned powers and abilities seen in the games. Considering its high fantasy setting, Final Fantasy 11 characters are already suited to the Granblue Fantasy universe.
Final Fantasy 11 still receives regular updates 20 years after release, and the popularity has been retained thanks to the hard work and skill of the developers. Two examples are music composer Nobuo Uematsu and art director Hideo Minaba of Final Fantasy fame, who were reunited for Granblue Fantasy and lent their talents to create an artistic backdrop for the JRPG. Both dev teams, however, are not ready to reveal any big details yet, so the fanbase is currently reveling in rumors about which characters will be added.
Eager fans were also recently teased with a gameplay trailer for Granblue Fantasy: Relink, meaning fans of the series have a lot to look forward to in the following months. Even though little detail has been given about the crossover, the allure of two popular JRPG franchises ensures many longtime fans and even newcomers are excited for what is yet to come.