As promised by its President, Square Enix has stepped a bit further into its plans to explore NFTs, cryptocurrency, and blockchain-related technologies. While the company previously sold NFTs of relatively obscure properties like Million Arthur, the newest move incorporates one of its most beloved brands: Final Fantasy. A new figure, the Bring Arts Cloud Strife, includes NFTs with every purchase.
Debuting on the Square Enix store, Bring Arts Cloud Strife is a new Final Fantasy VII-based action figure. Unlike other Cloud Strife figures, this new Bring Arts Cloud Strife is directly patterned after the character’s appearance in Final Fantasy VII. Cloud’s face and hair have a more anime-like appearance and simpler shapes. His clothes are brighter, and the accessories chunkier than the more realistically-sized version seen in FFVII Remake.
Check out some pictures of the figure in the gallery.
As a value-add for cryptocurrency enthusiasts (and a value-subtract for crypto skeptics), all purchases of the figure include an NFT-based “digital certificate of authenticity”. This certificate is a token registered on a blockchain operated by Enjin, a service partnering with Square Enix to create NFT collectibles based on Final Fantasy. A more expensive “Digital Plus” version of the figure includes two NFTs: The certificate, and a “digital version of the figure”. Buyers will need a special app that gives them an Enjin-managed cryptocurrency “wallet”. Given the volatility of pretty much every blockchain product, Square Enix’s product page for the figure includes a warning that buyers may lose access to both NFTs in the event that Enjin disappears.
The Bring Arts Cloud Strife figure isn’t the first time a physical product has been paired with an NFT. In June, American car maker Chevrolet attempted to auction off an NFT of the Corvette Z06 that also came with a “free” actual car in the same color. The auction closed with zero bids.
Bring Arts Cloud Strife is available for pre-order with an expected November 2023 release date. The standard figure (with 1 NFT) costs $129.99 USD. The “digital plus” edition (with 2 NFTs) costs $159.99 USD.
