‘Unplayable’ misfire: Apex fans agree Final Fantasy VII crossover was a huge failure

Despite being highly anticipated on release, the Apex Legends x Final Fantasy VII Rebirth crossover event eventually slumped and has today ended on a particularly sour note.

Apex gamers were particularly dissatisfied with the length and compulsory participation of the two-title event, which has dominated pubs since its launch on Jan. 9. The mode’s initial trailer was well received at The Game Awards, with many fans immediately expressing their excitement online. In particular, the concept of wielding the classic Buster Sward in an Apex lobby had gamers ready to give it their all. Weeks later, there’s a fair bit less hype.

Over its 22-day duration, attitudes towards the crossover steadily turned from excitement to frustration, starting with the main attraction: the Buster Sword. Many felt the Buster Sword was “too OP” and “overpopulated the maps,” spoiling the game and dominating end zones. 

The weapon was unbalanced, and its accompanying heirloom was incredibly expensive to obtain. Although players did not need to complete the event to unlock the first universal heirloom, they were forced to either unlock all 36 event items or face a one percent chance of gaining the item through event packs. The easiest way to guarantee the heirloom was to spend up to $360 on unlocking each item— double the usual price tag for collection events.

Regardless, it was not until later in the event that it started to significantly shift out of favor. Today, with the event hours away from its conclusion, players complained it “lasted entirely too long,” especially since its limited game features were compulsory in all non-ranked games (pubs). According to gamers across X (formerly Twitter) and Reddit, pubs became unplayable, with one player begging, “Please stop replacing Trios pubs for event trios. Not everyone has interest in playing events.” This sentiment was echoed by many who simply wanted to play regular unranked Apex games instead of the ongoing LTM. Disgruntled creator Scrappy even went as far as to say the crossover was “one of the biggest failures in the history of the game.”

Amongst the disdain, some Apex gamers were lenient in admitting they had enjoyed the crossover event for some time, crediting the LTM’s effort and creativity. However, the suggestion of keeping the mode separate from the main game prevailed eventually.

Respawn now has plenty of vocal feedback as the Final Fantasy crossover concludes. Every limited-time mode has its highs and lows, but when those lows last for three weeks with no alternative for casual players, many gamers will finish the Apex event with relief. The message is clear: Apex x Final Fantasy VII Rebirth “won’t be missed.”