Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis shutting down means its Japan only, prequel phone game will remain unplayable
Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, Square Enix’s gacha-based mobile remake of the original Final Fantasy 7, is shutting down its service. The announcement continues Square Enix’s trend of discontinuing numerous mobile games from its catalog.
What makes this shutdown particularly significant is its impact on game preservation. The service closure will render the game completely inaccessible once servers go offline. More notably, Ever Crisis served as the only accessible way to play Before Crisis, a Japan-exclusive prequel originally released as a mobile game and part of the broader Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 multimedia project.
The Compilation of Final Fantasy 7 was an ambitious multi-platform expansion designed to deepen the lore of the beloved 1997 RPG through various media experiences. Before Crisis was a significant component, offering unique story content set during the original game’s events.
This shutdown exemplifies ongoing challenges in digital game preservation, particularly for live-service and mobile titles. When publishers discontinue online services, games often disappear entirely, taking with them exclusive stories and experiences. The closure of Ever Crisis means that Before Crisis, a piece of Final Fantasy 7’s expanded universe, will become permanently inaccessible to players worldwide, raising important questions about how future gaming history can be preserved.