Final Fantasy Resonance fuses FF5 jobs with FF6 heroes
The combat in Final Fantasy Resonance started as an experiment to fuse two classic systems that had never been put together. Producer Keisuke Nakashima said the first concept was to combine the job system from Final Fantasy 5 with the distinct traits given to each hero in Final Fantasy 6. He described the idea alongside director Hiroto Furuya.
The remarks were made in an interview with Kotaku, as reported by Eurogamer. Nakashima said that specific pairing had not been done in the past. It had never been tried. That meant research and fresh design work to make it function.
For anyone new to the older games, the reference points are simple. Final Fantasy 5 lets characters swap jobs, which are combat roles such as knight, mage or thief, each with its own skills to learn and carry over. Final Fantasy 6 goes the other way, giving each party member a fixed, personal ability that no one else can use. Resonance tries to hold both ideas at once.
In practice, that balance rests on Visions, figures drawn from past games in the series with their own unique abilities. Those powers are paired with the skills and abilities of the main cast. The team also studied the stagger system used in the Final Fantasy 7 Remake series and Final Fantasy 16, where sustained stamina damage interrupts an enemy and opens a window to strike.
What makes this stand out is the source material. Resonance is built from Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, a mobile game that has closed down, and follows its first story arc. Square Enix says the new game is far from a direct port of that mobile original, according to Square Enix.
Resonance is billed as the first HD-2D Final Fantasy game, a style that places pixel-style characters on three-dimensional backgrounds, according to Square Enix. It launches on 22 October 2026, according to Square Enix. A free demo arrived shortly after Gamescom 2026.
For players, this means a familiar party with room to tinker. Keep a favourite hero for their signature move, then bend them in a new direction with jobs and Visions.
