Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the first free-to-play game in the Final Fantasy franchise to be built from the ground up for mobile devices, finished a rather unexpected promotion last week. Popular singer and actress, Ariana Grande was featured as a playable character named “Dangerous Ariana.” The character could be added to players’ rosters by completing the “Dangerous Woman Tour” stage during the limited-time event. The promotion also featured a remixed version of Grande’s 2016 hit song, “Touch It.” The song, which was enhanced with a Final Fantasy style, played in the game’s background during the event.
The Final Fantasy Brave Exvius worldwide version producer, Hiroki Fujimoto, talked with [a]listdaily about how the partnership with the famed artist came together and how Grande is now an official part of the extensive universe.
How did Square Enix come to collaborate with Ariana Grande?
Historically, the Final Fantasy series has collaborated with a number of talented artists in various ways, including the production of theme songs. Ariana Grande is an extremely talented and popular artist with a strong worldwide following, and Final Fantasy Brave Exvius (FFBE) decided to collaborate with her in an effort to both enrich and add depth to the game’s universe. Furthermore, FFBE is a game that anyone can easily pick up since it is free-to-play and for mobile devices. We would be extremely happy if this collaboration with Ariana, who is known worldwide, motivates those who have never played Final Fantasy to get to know FFBE.
How does Grande’s brand fit in with Brave Exvius’s look and feel?
We arranged her song “Touch It” so it would fit within the FFBE universe, and recorded the track with a full orchestra to create “Touch It—Final Fantasy Brave Exvius Remix“. The track plays as the battle theme of each of the stages for the in-game Ariana Grande event. Her powerful vocals provide a dramatic element that enliven the battles throughout the event. Furthermore, our new endeavor to incorporate her special pixel character in-game is very much in line with the Final Fantasy spirit of constantly taking on new challenges.
What could Grande’s character do in the game?
Ariana is represented in-game as a pixel character. Anyone could obtain her character by playing the “Dangerous Woman Tour” event. Thereafter, players could adventure with her by including her in their own party. She increases her party’s strength through support magic, and can also inflict damage on enemies with the power of song.
How much input did Grande have in designing her character?
Ariana reviewed the designs the development team produced of her character. She was extremely pleased with the flashy effects, the cute character animations, as well as the singing animations they made specifically for her character.
Are there other ways to obtain Grande’s character?
Players were only able to obtain Ariana’s character during this special event period. Once obtained, players can continue to use her in-game for all content.
Is Grande a Final Fantasy fan?
Ariana has a keen interest and love for Japanese culture which also encompasses Final Fantasy, among other things. She mentioned that she has been studying Japanese and wrote “daisuki” (love) in Japanese characters above her autograph. We were very surprised to see that she could write in Japanese.
How did you decide on “Touch It” as a song to remix and feature in the game?
After listening to Ariana’s songs, we felt the composition and tempo of “Touch It” would go well with the expansive universe that encompasses Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. This magnificent song initially starts quietly and builds up towards the end. Ariana’s wonderful voice and the new orchestral arrangement fully expresses FFBE’s dramatic story and continuously expanding world.
