Final Fantasy fans are mad at EB Games

Pre-orders opened for Final Fantasy 16’s collector’s edition, but fans were mad at the edition’s exclusivity and harsh eligibility requirements

Final Fantasy 16 is still over six months away, but the game’s collector’s edition went up for pre-order at EB Games earlier this week, and fans weren’t happy.

The Final Fantasy 16 collector’s edition costs a whopping $699.95, and includes a statue of two of the game’s creatures, Phoenix and Ifrit, a collection of metal pins, some bonus DLC, and a cloth map, among a few other standard goodies and the game (thanks, Press Start).

Unfortunately, however, EB Games was the only store to secure stock of the expensive edition, and the restrictions for actually placing a pre-order were tight. Only EB World Level 5 members were allowed to place orders, which some saw as unfair.

In response to a tweet about the edition from Press Start Australia, many Final Fantasy fans expressed their frustration. One Twitter user described it as “disgusting”, saying that locking it behind Level 5 EB World membership was unacceptable, especially given the membership only lasts for a year.

The Final Fantasy 16 collector's edition costs $700, and includes a high quality statue featuring two of the game’s summons. Picture: Square Enix/Sony

Others took offense to EB Games’ lack of a tweet about the edition, after it said earlier in the week it would provide updates on social media. Some in the replies to Press Start’s tweet offered up their own Level 5 membership for others who were interested, since they weren’t interested themselves.

For those who don’t know, EB Games’ membership program, EB World, is split into five different levels. Levels 1-4 are accumulated over time, requiring members to earn a certain amount of “carrots” that are earned by buying or trading games. Once a member reaches one of the levels, they typically stay on that level until moving up a stage.

Square Enix showed off a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 at The Game Awards 2022. Picture: Square Enix

Level 5 works a little bit differently, with the top 9,999 carrot-earners each year earning Level 5 status. The amount required to be in the top ten-thousand varies, but members can typically expect to spend thousands of dollars in a year to earn a spot at the top. Once they get there, they have access to Level 5 membership for one year, after which they either renew their status after having spent enough to stay in the top 9,999, or drop back down to Level 4.

The new Final Fantasy game is coming sooner than many expected, after it was given a release date at The Game Awards on Friday. Publisher Square Enix revealed in a new trailer that the game would be coming in June, while many expected it would come later in the year.

It’s not the only game that was dated at The Game Awards. Bayonetta was revealed to be getting a stunning spin-off game focusing on a young version of the title character, and it’s coming just six months after the last game released.

Written by Oliver Brandt on behalf of GLHF.