What is "FFTCG"? A special program reports on the game's various efforts to recreate the original work from different perspectives, along with product information [TGS2025]
Note: the original Japanese article can be found at:
https://www.4gamer.net/games/131/G013186/20250928014/
Writer: Aoi Sugiyura | 2025/09/28 03:29 (UTC)
Square Enix today (September 28, 2025) released a special program at the ongoing gaming event [Tokyo Game Show 2025], highlighting the appeal of its trading card game, Final Fantasy Trading Card Game (FFTCG), developed in collaboration with Hobby Japan.
The program featured game talent and voice actress Yasuzawa Kajun as a guest, with Taro Kezama and Kenji Arai from Hobby Japan serving as developers providing commentary. The show introduces basic gameplay mechanics—essential viewing for anyone interested in the title.
■Participants
· Guest Yasuzawa Kajun (Game Talent/Voice Actress)
· Hobby Japan FFTCG Development Team Taro Kezama (Producer) Kenji Arai (Director)
※The images shown are screenshots from the broadcast video.
Official Website for Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Recreating the Original Works in Every Possible Way! Introducing the Appeal of FFTCG—Perfect for Final Fantasy Fans
FFTCG is an official trading card game based on the Final Fantasy series, as its name suggests.
The basic rules are quite simple and feature a clean system compared to recent TCGs. Victory comes from dealing a total of 7 or more damage points to your opponent using key mechanics: “Forward” for combat, “Backup” for cost payment and support, and powerful one-time-use cards called “Summon Beasts.”
A distinctive feature is its cost payment system: to play a card, you must pay the corresponding attribute’s “CP” (Crystal Points). CP are generated by placing Backup cards on the field—but playing Backup cards themselves requires costs.
Discarding hand cards grants 2 CP per card, so early in the game players typically convert their hands into CP and place Backup cards onto the field. With two cards drawn at the start of each turn, a core strategy involves gradually discarding your hand while building up your field presence.
In essence, Backup cards function like “lands” in Magic: The Gathering, but because they require costs to play, they come with powerful special abilities. Some provide draw effects, reduce costs, or dramatically alter the game state.
This system gives FFTCG high freedom in deck-building and gameplay, making it simple yet highly enjoyable. In recent years, collaborations have extended beyond the Final Fantasy series to other Square Enix titles, making this a notably popular release.
To date, FFTCG includes 72 officially licensed works (including spin-offs), meaning nearly every title from the franchise has made an appearance.
The program introduced not only basic game details but also discussed the unique design elements that recreate original works. The first method highlighted was card design.
For example, the newly reprinted “Y’shtola” card was featured. Previous versions of Y’shtola emphasized her role as a healer, but this version features offensive abilities such as “reducing damage below her power to zero” and “cannot be blocked by Forward cards with cost 4 or higher.”
This reflects her shift in role from healer to DPS within the series’ storyline. Using multiple cards to illustrate a character’s evolution over time is a unique strength of long-running TCGs.
It’s also interesting that, beyond high attack power, she gains evasion abilities based on opponent stats—adding a technical depth to her gameplay.
Additionally, the “Cloud” card included in the duel deck “Avalanche vs. Shinra” was designed to directly support cards belonging to “Avalanche.”
This isn’t a reflection of Cloud’s personal traits but rather emphasizes his role as an active member of the Avalanche group—a narrative choice that enables players to build decks inspired by specific scenes from the story.
To recreate unique behaviors of the source material, FFTCG often employs original systems. One such example is the card for “Clive,” the protagonist of the latest numbered title, Final Fantasy XVI.
In the story, Clive can transform into the summon beast “Ifrit.” In FFTCG, this ability is represented through a keyword called “Manifestation” (see official rules). When paying Manifestation cost, Clive can search his deck for the corresponding card and place it on top of himself to appear.
While FFIV’s Cecil also has a transformation mechanic, Clive and Ifrit are not identical entities—though they are closely intertwined. To capture this nuance, FFTCG introduced a new mechanism specifically to convey such narrative elements.
In this game, “10,000 power” is reserved exclusively for the strongest beings in each world. Few exist that can defeat Ifrit at full strength under normal conditions.
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Thumbnail image No.009 / What is “FFTCG”? A special report on a program introducing how the original works are recreated from various angles and featuring product information [TGS2025]
Next, the program covered new products. On October 3rd, two volumes of a new starter set titled “Starter Set 2025” will be released. Featuring cards from various series titles, this package seems ideal for fans first trying their hand at TCGs.
A competitive match featuring the new starter set is scheduled to air on October 10th, shortly after release.
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Nationwide tournaments are being held at local shops, and participation alone earns players promotional cards. Event details—including venues and dates—are listed on the official website—be sure to check them out.
For those wanting a strong deck right away, the “FINAL FANTASY TRADING CARD GAME World Champion Decks 2024” released August 29th (related link) is highly recommended.
New card sleeves and playmats are set to be released before the end of 2025.
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Finally, the 2025 calendar was unveiled. The booster pack “The Journey of Discovery,” releasing on November 14th, is said to perfectly complement and enhance the Starter Set experience—especially with new cards from Final Fantasy XIV expected soon. Those eager for more details should visit the official website.