Square Enix and Team Ninja’s latest collaboration comes in the form ofStranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, an action RPG set in theFinal Fantasyuniverse. This collaboration weaves both the hardcore action that Team Ninjais known for with the intricate worlds and stories that Square Enix crafts with itsFinal Fantasyfranchise. In the days leading up to launch, it appears that Square Enix is keen on preserving as much of the story ofStranger of Paradiseas they can before launch, going as far as threatening bans to streamers who elect to show too much of the game.Since its initial reveal, Square Enix has not hesitated to let players have a hands-on look atStranger of Paradise, offering multiple demos of the first few hours. Additionally, fans were allowed toplayStranger of Paradiseearlywith 72-hour early access upon preordering a digital copy. Naturally, many streamers would likely take advantage of these demos and the early access period to produce content for their viewers before the game’s full release on March 18.RELATED:Stranger of Paradise: FInal Fantasy Origin ReviewHowever, looking at Square Enix’s “Gameplay Video & Livestreaming Guidelines,” it appears that streamers will have to hold off on reaching the ending despite the game having launched for the early access crowd or risk facing the repercussions.Per Square Enix’s official website:
Notably, these restrictions appear to be indefinite, extending past the March 18 launch date, which means that no streamer may show the ending at any time. Many gamers and streamers on Twitter display contempt towards this decision, canceling preorders and refusing to stream the game entirely.
Square Enix is no stranger to placing restrictions on what can and can’t be shown from its games, even going as far asremoving YouTube videos ofFinal Fantasy 7’s ending. Additionally, Square Enix’s Video & Livestreaming Guidelines do not outline what specific repercussions YouTubers or streamers could face or how severe the consequences could be. Streamers could face anything from a takedown notice to a full ban from receiving early copies from Square Enix moving forward, but there is nothing detailing firm consequences.
Stranger of Paradiseis a decently long game to beat. However, thanks to early demos that transfer your progress to the full game, along with the 72-hour early access period, it would not be too hard to believe that a full-time streamer would likely have reached the end credits by now. At the time of writing, multiple videos have surfaced from major YouTube channels with the complete ending on display and are still up. How swiftly Square Enix responds to these videos and how creators will react to preserve their content is yet to be seen.
Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Originreleases March 18th for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
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