Square Enix Lifts Final Fantasy VII Region-Lock on Steam in Japan
- ⚡Xe⚡
- 5 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Final Fantasy VII is now available on Steam in Japan, finally ending years of domestic region locking. The lock was lifted with the recent release of a new version of the game, which has officially replaced the 2013 version on the platform.
Japanese players had long pointed to the game as a clear example of “Omakuni,” which is when publishers block sales in Japan while selling the same game overseas. With the PC version now live on the Japanese Steam store, that restriction is gone.
The release still has a “Mixed” user rating on Steam, with players reporting blurry textures and other technical issues.
But the bigger region-lock problem across the series isn’t fully solved. Japanese outlet Game*Spark reports that several titles are still missing from the Japanese Steam store, including Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy VIII.
The japanese media outlet commented:
“You’d think you could finally complete the FF series on Steam… or so we thought, but there are actually still some titles you can’t get.”
In the past, Square Enix sold domestic PC versions through its own e-Store. After its May 2024 “Reboots and Awakens” announcement, Square Enix started moving toward a wider multiplatform strategy focused on Steam and other storefronts.
Square Enix hasn’t explained why the original region lock existed or why it was finally removed.
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About FINAL FANTASY VII
First released in 1997 on the PlayStation® computer entertainment system, FINAL FANTASY VII celebrated its 25th Anniversary in 2022. The game is universally regarded as a hallmark title of the RPG genre. The original title received high praise for its epic storyline, unique characters, and movie sequences that utilized the most cutting-edge technology of the time. Since then, the game revolving around iconic hero, Cloud Strife and his pursuit of the antagonist Sephiroth has sold over 15.3 million copies worldwide and continues to receive widespread acclaim from critics and fans around the world. The popular game has even expanded into spin-offs, films and merchandise.
Now, Square Enix’s FINAL FANTASY VII remake project created by a team of original and new developers, retells the story of the genre-redefining RPG across three distinct, and standalone games. The first game of the trilogy, FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE is now available on Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox PC, PS5® and PS4® consoles and PC. FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, the second game in the trilogy, has been praised by both players and critics across the globe, earning more than 125 perfect scores from media and 40 Game of the Year awards, and is available now for PC and the PS5® console. It will launch on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S and Xbox PC with Xbox Play Anywhere support on June 3, 2026.