GYGO: Happy Anniversary Announcements from Dragon’s Dogma and Final Fantasy VII

Welcome to Get Your Game On! It’s a slow week in gaming news since we’re currently between showcases, but don’t worry! We’ve got some good news for you (if you’re a JRPG fan, at least):

Dragon’s Dogma 2 Announced

Last week at the end of a mini-documentary celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Dragon’s Dogma, the game developers dramatically threw off their sweaters to reveal Dragon’s Dogma II shirts and formally announced that the sequel to the cult-hit action RPG is in development. Originally released for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, the game received one large expansion, Dark Arisen, and was followed by a free-to-play MMO in 2015 (which shut down in December 2019), and a Netflix animated series in 2020. Although Dragon’s Dogma received criticism for its weak (read: borderline incoherent) narrative, its combat was well-received, and Director Hideaki Itsuno expressed interest in a sequel as early as 2013.

Right now, little is known about the game itself; however, based on the follow-up tweet from Capcom, we do know the game is being made in Capcom’s in-house RE Engine, and it’s a safe bet that the focus of the game will be another Arisen fighting against the cycle of fate:

Final Fantasy VII Prequel Getting an Upgrade, Final Fantasy VII Remake Chapter 2 Announced

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Livestream contained several major announcements, including the news that Crisis Core, originally released for the PSP in 2007, is being remastered as Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion. The remaster features upgraded visuals, character models, and full voiceover, according to the Final Fantasy VII 25th Anniversary Stream where the remaster was announced. A prequel to Final Fantasy VII, Crisis Core expands the story of 1st Class SOLDIER Zack Fair, who only appears in flashbacks within the main game.

Crisis Core arrives later this year. The anniversary stream also included a surprise launch of Final Fantasy VII Remake on Steam (and it’s Steam Deck verified), and an announcement for the 2023 release for the second chapter of Final Fantasy VII Remake, known as Rebirth, while clarifying that the remake will be a trilogy. Rebirth will launch first on the PlayStation 5, but most likely will also make its way to PC first via Epic Games as the first chapter of the remake did.

Diablo Immortal Release Postponed in China

On Sunday June 19th, Blizzard’s Chinese website announced that Diablo Immortal’s June 23rd release was being postponed due to “optimization” issues. The last-minute delay comes shortly after the suspension of Diablo Immortal’s account from Weibo, a major Chinese social media platform, allegedly due to a Winnie the Pooh joke aimed at President Xi Jinping. Screenshots circulated that appeared to show the Diablo Immortal page asking “Why hasn’t the bear stepped down?” However, Blizzard has not acknowledged this as part of the delay.

Despite its tumultuous reception when first announced in 2018, Diablo Immortal had a successful initial launch on June 2, with Blizzard calling it the “biggest launch in franchise history.” In the two weeks since launch, the microtransaction-heavy mobile game has earned $24 million and over 10 million installs.

In other news…

Activision Blizzard conducted an internal investigation into accusations of systemic hostility and toxic work environments and cleared itself of wrongdoing. Yikes. The full report (which is mostly full of self-congratulatory back-patting over their diversity initiatives) can be found here.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl has been delayed to 2023 due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to a new developer diary.

A Gran Turismo movie directed by District 9’s Neill Blomkamp is coming August 2023, according to a Deadline exclusive reveal. The movie will be based on the true story of a Gran Turismo player who wins a spot as a professional racecar driver through an esports tournament.

December Cuccaro

December Cuccaro (she/her) is an MFA graduate from the University of Nevada, Reno and a member of the 2021 Clarion West cohort. When not rambling about video games, she writes about sapphic werewolves and sad necromancers searching for friendship.