Square Enix’sFinal Fantasyseries is one of the stalwarts of gaming culture. Spanning multiple decades, entries, mediums, and genres, the franchise has created a dedicated fan base over the years and continues to produce award-winning installments to this day. With upcoming releases likeFinal Fantasy 16andFinal Fantasy 7: Rebirthon the horizon,Final Fantasyfans still have lots to look forward to. Another offshoot of the ever-popularFinal Fantasy 7is the yet-to-be-released mobile game,Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis.

The developer has continued to supplement the originalFinal Fantasy 7with spin-offs, remakes, and even films, really making the most ofthe story of Cloud Strife and his companions.Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis, which should have a closed beta sometime this year, will compile almost all the games and stories that center around the originalFinal Fantasy 7’s timeline into one mobile experience, but it also seems like it might tread some new ground. After a few hints and the release of theFinal Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis25th Anniversary Celebration Trailer, it seems like the upcoming game might feature a young Sephiroth.

Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis gameplay

RELATED:2023 Will Be a Big Year for Final Fantasy Fans

Explaining Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis

Coveringso much story content inFinal Fantasy 7: Ever Crisisseems like a gargantuan task, but the game is being planned to release in monthly installments to give fans time to play through each episodic chunk. The mobile game will serve as a retelling of the main timeline ofFinal Fantasy 7, including various elements of its compilation likeAdvent Children, Before Crisis, Crisis Core,andDirge of Cerberus.This will be a fascinating collection forFinal Fantasyfans and will be the first time any gamers have been able to play through the events of the animated filmAdvent Children.

The inclusion of spin-offs likethe Vincent Valentine-focusedDirge of Cerberuswill also help flesh out the main timeline ofFinal Fantasy 7and the characters that flit in and out of its expansive narrative. While fans are excited to relive a lot of the key events of the game and its associated parts,Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisisis also a chance for Square Enix to provide something new and exciting, like a more fleshed-out backstory for a certain sword-wielding antagonist.

Image depicting Sephiroth in Final Fantasy

How It Might Feature Sephiroth

With a scope that spans years before the start of the mainFinal Fantasy 7game and encompasses years after the story events as well,Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisisis certainly ambitious. Adding new plotlines when the mobile game is already attempting to cover so many might seem like a tall order, but the glimpse of Sephiroth sporting shorter locks and not his usual iconic silver mane has piqued the interest of a lot of fans. Sephiroth’s background isn’t a complete mystery – as the main antagonist inFinal Fantasy 7,Sephiroth gets his share of screentime and narrative focus. Players already know how the renowned former SOLDIER was driven mad when he learned of his true origins and began a murderous rampage.

However, Sephiroth’s appearances have only ever really focused on his time as a SOLDIER when he was already a hero and decorated warrior, and then afterward when he’d had his fall from grace and descended into true madness as he pursued ultimate power and revenge. Players have never spent time with a young Sephiroth or seen how the troubled and solitary boy became the murderous villain.Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisis’tease that the game will somehowexplore Sephiroth’s backstory in more detailis great news for fans of the series and of the infamous ex-SOLDIER who had such an impact on the franchise.

Final Fantasy 7: Ever Crisiswill be available on Android and iOS mobile devices in 2022.

MORE:5 Final Fantasy Games That Were Too Short (& 7 That Were Way Too Long)