Final Fantasy Publishers Square Enix Debut NFT Auction for New Web3 Game

Today, Square Enix, creators of the classic Final Fantasy video game series, are kicking off their first auction for NFTs representing the characters from their upcoming “Symbiogenesis” blockchain-based game.

If you’re wondering how to enter this auction, it’s probably not possible at this late stage—fans of the upcoming game, which will run on Polygon and Ethereum and is a web-based, narrative-driven project, have been grinding for the chance to bid on these main characters for weeks.

However, even though today’s ten auctions are most likely out of reach, it’s still possible to enter the Symbiogenesis discord and work to qualify for the allowlist for the second and third stages of the game’s character auctions, which take place on November 30 and December 2, and will allow hundreds more hopefuls to bid on characters.

As might be expected from the creators of Final Fantasy, Symbiogenesis promises intricate, absorbing worldbuilding—a floating continent where humanity has taken refuge from pollution and faces the existential threat of a massive dragon.

While the promised game will be free for anyone to play, some storylines and chapters will only be available to the owners of particular characters—and those owners will have a role to play in determining the tale’s ultimate ending.

Today’s one-day auction will be followed by the November 30 auction, which will allow people who worked hard in the project’s allowlist campaign, which measured and ranked activity on the Symbiogenesis discord server, engagement on social media, and holding of Symbiogenesis Relics and Campaign NFTs, which were available through treasure hunts and promotional campaigns in October and November. The final auction, on December 2, will be open to all community members who participated in the weeks-long allowlist entry campaign.

The six-chapter story, which is scheduled to open on Dec. 21, is sure to involve intertwining storylines, strong characterization and dramatic surprises that are instantly recognizable to Square Enix fans—all while keeping things fresh with an entirely new world to explore. “While there are certainly quite a number of factors to consider, as far as creativity is concerned, I cannot emphasize enough how crucial it is to consistently offer “new” and engaging content, be it in traditional or blockchain-based art-entertainment ventures. If the audience becomes disinterested, the ramifications can be quite severe. Therefore, it is imperative for creators and providers to remain dedicated to producing fresh and compelling material to maintain user engagement and interest. Failure to do so often means ‘death,’” said Symbiogenesis creative director Yosuke Toyoda on the project’s website.

Intriguingly, the project’s website, social media, and story introduction—which can be seen now and teases the world and characters—aren’t English-centric, with Japanese-language communications taking priority. The Discord has been relatively quiet, but with a detailed map of the vast floating continent already available to explore and the strong loyalty of Square Enix fans, this may well change as the bigger public auction opens in the upcoming days.

Created by Yosuke Toyoda of Square Enix’s Image Studio Division—the in-house CGI animation studio that is responsible for its richly designed video game cutscenes—Symbiogenesis is likely to have a high standard of design and storytelling, but the storytelling utility of its NFTs will be tested by a volatile market with a short memory—and an even shorter attention span.