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Square Enix – the famed Japanese video game publisher behind franchises such as Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Kingdom Hearts – announced today that it will launch its upcoming NFT-based game Symbiogensis on Polygonone Ethereum scaling network.
Symbiogenesis was first announced last November, and at the time the publisher said the story-driven collectible game was tentatively planned to launch on Ethereum. However, the company said today that it will use Polygon instead, which uses a sidechain to offer faster and cheaper transactions than Ethereum’s own mainnet can handle.
“Square Enix chose to leverage Polygon’s high transaction speeds, low gas fees, and overall ease of use to deliver this unique experience to Web3 fans,” game producer Naoyuki Tamate said in a press release.
The publisher has drip-fed details through one official Twitter feed since November, but has yet to release an official website, full trailer, or in-game screenshots until its planned spring launch.
Square Enix offered a few more details alongside today’s announcement. The game will apparently be built around 10,000 NFTs tied to strategic game mechanics, although there will also be other NFTs used in the game. However, according to a document shared by Polygon Labs, owning a character NFT is not required to play the game, although it adds unspecified “additional value” to the experience. Holders of NFT characters can apparently create “replica NFTs” to share story information with other players.
Symbiogenesis will take place on a floating continent above a polluted future Earth, with society forced to band together and make tough choices when a dragon threatens their safe haven.
The game will feature turn-based gameplay related to the story, which take different paths as users complete missions and either hold or exchange NFTs. Square Enix has showcased NFT articles including dragon tarot cards and a monster storybook, but hasn’t shared concrete details about costs or how they affect gameplay.
The November announcement of Symbiogenesis was met with significant backlash from Square Enix’s traditional video game fans. It is common for Web3 games and projects made by established game companies, but in this case, some fans were angry because of rumors that the game would be a new entry in the long-dormant Parasite Eve series. (It is not.)
Square Enix has made a number of moves in the Web3 space over the past few years, but Symbiogenesis marks both its first proper NFT-based game and also its first in-house project set within the Ethereum ecosystem.
Formerly Square Enix invested in Ethereum metaverse game The Sandbox and announced that it will reviving the dormant Dungeon Siege series in its game world. The publisher has also launched NFT collectibles in Japan via the LINE blockchain, and announced Final Fantasy VII NFTs linked to physical action figures via Enjin’s Efinity platform built on Polka dot.
Despite complaints from some traditional gamers regarding NFTs, Square Enix has continued emphasize the opportunity it sees in space and invest in increasing Web3 efforts. Last May, Square Enix sold by a number of studios and game franchises (including Tomb Raider) for $300 million to help fund new business ventures, including Web3 experiences.
