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Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV, and everything in between will join Xbox Game Pass in 2020.

Square Enix has been quietly remastering its PS1- and PS2-era games for modern consoles, including PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the portable Nintendo Switch. The last holdout was Final Fantasy VIII – possibly down to music licensing issues, possibly due to missing assets – but that was remastered and released in September 2019. It’s not without its flaws, but with the addition of a speed boost to whip past the grind, it’s quite good. Especially on Nintendo Switch, where you can play on the go.

And when you’re a publisher that has amassed a back-catalogue collection, spanning over 20 years, it makes sense to release it in as many places as possible.

The next place, announced during the X019 event in London, will be Xbox Game Pass. Every Final Fantasy game, from 7 through to 15 – excluding 11 and 14, the very online Final Fantasies – will be made available in 2020. If you’ve not been keeping count, that means:

  • Final Fantasy VII
  • Final Fantasy VIII Remastered
  • Final Fantasy IX
  • Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster
  • Final Fantasy XII The Zodiac Age
  • Final Fantasy XIII
  • Final Fantasy XIII-2
  • Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII
  • Final Fantasy XV

They’re not all classics, it has to be said. Final Fantasy XII and its programmable characters is weirdly hands-off, while number 13 was definitely not lucky for all concerned. But to get that many enormous, epic games – that even years on, in their remastered forms, will easily set you back £200 to buy them all separately – included in the low monthly subscription for Xbox Game Pass?

It’s another compelling argument for Microsoft’s attempt at becoming “the Netflix of gaming”. Between nine huge Final Fantasy games and The Witcher 3? Xbox Game Pass will keep you busy for months.

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