Gaming giant Square Enix, the firm behind Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts, announced this week that it is expanding its blockchain game Symbiogenesis to Sony’s Ethereum layer-2 network, Soneium. Symbiogenesis originally launched on Ethereum scaling network Polygon, and is currently wrapping up what’s slated to be its final season of content. But that imminent conclusion isn’t stopping Square Enix from a further affiliation with Sony on the blockchain. The initiative connects Symbiogenesis with two other games on Soneium: sleep-to-earn app Sleepagotchi and team-based competitive battler Evermoon. Players who complete limited-time quests in Symbiogenesis will receive commemorative NFT collectibles that unlock benefits across all three games.
“This isn’t just about unlocking digital stickers,” the press release states. “The NFT you earn from completing a Symbiogenesis quest grants exclusive community mission perks,” as well as in-game benefits. The campaign is now available, and players must complete the main story epilogues from chapters 1-4 in Symbiogenesis by May 31 to qualify for rewards.
Soneium was developed by Sony Block Solutions Labs, a joint venture between Sony Group Corporation and blockchain firm Startale Group. Because it’s a decentralized network that any team can build on, this move isn’t being framed as a direct collaboration between Square Enix and Sony, nor does it have any affiliation with Sony’s PlayStation gaming brand.
But there is plenty of shared history there, as Square Enix famously launched the influential Final Fantasy VII on the original PlayStation back in 1997, and has continued to work closely with the tech giant’s PlayStation ecosystem over the years.
As for Symbiogenesis, the game is still slated to conclude in July—at least for now. “At present, this marks their final season,” a Soneium spokesperson told Decrypt. “We continue to engage in discussions with Square Enix about potential future collaboration, but [from] Soneium’s point of view, we’re unable to share further details.”
