Chocobo GP hasn’t had quite the launch Square Enix had anticipated. With complaints from players about microtransactions, network issues, and the season pass system, the developer has quickly taken to social media to express its apologies, and share future plans for the game.
Considering the lukewarm reception to the Square Enix kart-racer, it’s little surprise that the developer has felt the need to share a statement on future Chocobo GP updates. Having been burned by the Balan Wonderworld release less than a year ago, Square can’t afford to face another flop, so it’ll be hoping for a longer shelf life thanks to some quality of life improvements.
Much of the criticism concerning Chocobo GP is about the implementation of both the season pass and microtransaction mechanics in the game. Unlike most kart-racers on Switch that allow you to unlock new characters through progression, this title emphasises spending Gil to add more racers to your roster. This means that unless you’re willing to splash the cash like a Shinra executive on a wild night in Wall Market, it’ll take a good while longer to unlock your favourite characters.
Changes to Chocobo GP
A few days ago, Square Enix shared a statement via its Twitter account on updates and changes coming to Chocobo GP. Unfortunately, there isn’t yet an exact English translation, with the original information being in Japanese, but one savvy Reddit user has shared a quickly translated version of the announcement.
現在起こっている不具合について及び今後のアップデートについて「チョコボグランプリからのお知らせ（3/11）」を取り急ぎ画像公開させていただきます。
引き続き、皆様からのご意見ご要望もお待ちしております。 pic.twitter.com/c9lfCdrbvg— チョコボGP公式 (@Chocobo_GP) March 11, 2022
“Notice from Chocobo Grand Prix (2022/3/11)
Thank you for playing Chocobo Grand Prix. We are currently receiving many inquiries, and we would like to inform you about the status of various problems and future updates.
[Countermeasures for problems that are currently occurring]
Currently, the following problems are mainly reported.
a. Bug when purchasing items due to application version difference b. At the time of matching, some players do not go into the READY state and cannot proceed to the race c. The start timing of the race does not match d. The state that does not meet the specified number of laps
We are investigating the cause of each problem and taking corrective action. He wants to be able to update as soon as possible, but stay tuned for more updates. In response to the fact that there are cases where Chocobo GP mode cannot be played normally, the following measures have been taken ahead of schedule today.
Significant relaxation of the score required to raise the prize level
It will be relaxed from the current achievement level or later. Depending on the condition, the level may be raised immediately.
Also, as an apology for not being able to play Chocobo GP mode normally, we have distributed 500 Mithril to everyone. For customers who have contacted the inquiry window due to the influence of defect a, we will contact you individually in sequence.
[About future updates]
The season is scheduled to change about every two months. Updates will be made at the timing of the season change. The main contents planned for the update are as follows.
Addition of new characters
In addition to the 24 characters available only in the product version, we plan to add 2 characters for each season. In the current season 1, the following his characters are available.
Possess the “Squall” product version + Sold at “Gill” which can be obtained in Chocobo GP mode etc.
Items added to the Gil Shop will be added each time the season is repeated. “Cloud”: You can get it by possessing the product version and prize pass + playing Chocobo GP mode and raising it to prize level 60.
Prize level reward items are seasonal limited items that are updated every season. As a consideration for players who will start later, we are considering re-appearing in another form. From Season 2 onwards, 2 characters will be added by the same rule.
Addition of new courses
We plan to add new courses that are available to all players, regardless of whether they are Lite or commercial versions. The latest additions are planned for Season 2. The coverage of the additional courses is based on the range of features available in the Lite and retail versions.
Addition of Mithril products such as new costumes
In Season 1, his costumes of Chocobo are lined up in his Mithril shop. We plan to add some more in the middle of the season, including BGM and his seasonal costumes.
In Season 1, he can get Mithril by distributing it with a login bonus and purchasing it directly, but after Season 2, he will also be able to get it as a prize level reward.
Game balance adjustments and functional modifications
We may need to adjust the character’s balance to maintain a healthy competitive environment, and modify basic functions to improve playability. If an immediate fix is needed, the policy is to update without waiting for the season switch timing.
[From the producer]
We apologize for the inconvenience caused to the players due to problems with the battle function and lack of advance notice. The development team will work as one to deal with any defects so that they can be repaired as soon as possible.
We have also received many comments on how to provide additional DLC. We take this seriously and will continue to do our best to provide updates that will satisfy everyone who purchases.
First of all, he raised the prize level in Chocobo GP mode and changed to an easy specification. Overall it’s been greatly relaxed, especially he’s made it easier to get up to level 100, so I’d appreciate it if you could get the cloud and his machine.
With the team stickers available with prize level rewards, he’s an image of an average of one game going up one level if the wins and losses are flat. In this way, our new basic policy is to create an environment in which it is easy to obtain additional characters simply by purchasing the product version.
On top of that, we are thinking of placing things that are unlikely to affect gameplay, such as costume changes, in higher rewards, Mithril shops, and so on. These are not the only decisions to be made, and we will continue to brush up on the opinions we have received.
We are also considering removing some restrictions on the Lite version to make it easier for video distributors to hold events, so please be patient.
Thank you for your continued support for the Chocobo Grand Prix. Square Enix Co., Ltd. Hironori Okayama”
So, it’s clear that Square Enix has heard fans and is doing its best to keep them on their side. Whether or not the updates will help the game fly in the face of other kart racers, especially with the first batch of Mario Kart 8 DLC updates nearly upon us, is another question, but it should at least keep Chocobo GP from going the way of the dodo.
If you still haven’t taken to the track yourself in the new Final Fantasy kart-racer, be sure to check out our Chocobo GP review to see how we got on zipping through the streets of Alexandria. Or, why not race for real as FF7 icon Tifa, and drift around your city in this fetching cosplay wig and costume.