In the event you have been upset to listen to that pop star Ariana Grande would not return in Ultimate Fantasy Resonance, a brand new mod is right here to avoid wasting the day.
In case you have been unaware, Sq. Enix’s Ultimate Fantasy Resonance will arrive because the long-running RPG franchise’s first correct HD-2D recreation when it launches subsequent month, and it additionally occurs to be a little bit of a remake. The sport it is primarily based on, Ultimate Fantasy Courageous Exvius, is a free-to-play recreation with turn-based gameplay that launched for iOS and Android units in 2015 and shut down in 2025 – however what does that should do with Ariana Grande?
The performer behind hits like “break up along with your girlfriend, i am bored,” who additionally performed Galinda within the latest Depraved movies, is not a newcomer for the Ultimate Fantasy collection. Grande really joined Ultimate Fantasy Courageous Exvius within the type of pixelated characters – together with one match along with her Harmful Girl period bunny outfit – in 2017. The announcement (under) even detailed some in-game love for the pop star’s track “Contact It,” however relating to Ultimate Fantasy Resonance, Grande’s contribution to the collection will probably be misplaced to time.
Producer Keisuke Nakashima just lately confirmed to Kotaku that Grande “sadly” wouldn’t seem within the October Ultimate Fantasy recreation. On the very least, it feels like a choice Sq. Enix put some thought into.
“It’s additionally a part of the worldview, you recognize?” he advised the positioning. “Ariana Grande’s character wouldn’t match throughout the vibe that we’ve created for Ultimate Fantasy Resonance.”
Modders, it appears, disagree. As spotlighted by the FFR Imaginative and prescient Studio mod (through Eurogamer), Grande can really feel proper at dwelling again in Ultimate Fantasy Resonance together with a set of different visitor characters. Which means you may add different names like Sora from Kingdom Hearts and 2B from Nier Automata to affix the combat with only some clicks.
Remember the fact that that is all a couple of month earlier than the sport really comes out. From Grande to Sora, these characters are solely out there to affix Ultimate Fantasy Resonance as a part of its just lately launched demo. The demo does, nevertheless, permit gamers to hold their progress over to the complete launch, so it would not be a shock to see former Ultimate Fantasy Courageous Exvius characters present up within the launch construct, too.
Ultimate Fantasy Resonance launches for PC, Nintendo Change, Change 2, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Collection X/S October 22, 2026. Till then, you may try IGN’s remaining preview for the sport.
Picture by Monica Schipper/Getty Photos.