NFT Square Enix: when Cloud destroys the planet rather than saving it

Last January, Square Enix expressed its goal of entering the blockchain and NFT market. Then, the following May, the Japanese studio created a surprise by dropping its Western studios in favor of this unexpected project when the crypto market was already starting to collapse. Square Enix is ​​definitely not giving up and is launching its first NFTs via pre-orders… of products derived from Final Fantasy VII.

To start small, the studio offers two different types of NFTs to test the waters. While the next collection of Final Fantasy collectible cards will offer virtual versions posted on the blockchain, a Cloud Strife figurine will also be entitled to its non-fungible format. The cards will open for pre-orders later in the year, but it is already possible to afford Cloud and its NFT on the Square Enix Store.

From Square Enix to Shinra: there is only one step

For the modest sum of €159.99 (compared to €129.99 for the classic version), Final Fantasy fans who are fans of NFT-related speculation can afford a magnificent Cloud figurine and his digital double hosted on the blockchain. Finally, the most impressive thing is not the price of this figurine and its virtual double, but rather the the irony of the proposed content.

For those who have never played Final Fantasy VII, the game tells the story of a group of young people who try to overthrow a corporation drawing on the planet’s resources and leading it to its downfall. In 2022, the impact of NFTs and cryptocurrencies on the environment is well established and this market consumes astronomical amounts of energy like Shinra destroying the planet Gaia in FF7.

In addition to embarking on a dangerous project whose fall is constant, Square Enix is ​​coming to become our world’s embodiment of its best-known game’s antagonist. To overcome the detractors, the studio has planned well and promises that its NFTs are eco-friendly because they are hosted on the Efinity blockchain, a company that promises to be the most respectful of the environment. Unfortunately, NFTs in the world of video games and pop culture remain a real problem as the Minecraft teams pointed out yesterday.