In a somewhat mysterious announcement, Square Enix recently foreshadowed that the original Final Fantasy VII on Steam will be getting a new version. It’s not exactly clear how this version will differ from the 2013 PC port currently available on the platform, but the news has stirred optimism among Japanese gamers that the game might finally be freed of region-locking (as reported by Game*Spark).
Yes, it’s currently not possible to buy or even access Final Fantasy VII’s Steam store page in Japan. While the game’s PC port can still be bought elsewhere, like the Final Fantasy VII Windows Edition on the Microsoft store, the Steam version became a victim of what Japanese gamers call “omakuni.”
Omakuni (おま国) is an internet slang word referring to a product or service being blocked in a specific country, and it’s most often used in reference to Japanese publishers making their own games unpurchasable or unplayable (e.g. no language support) for domestic users on Steam, often due to local storefront exclusivity deals. The notorious practice is surprisingly common, and can be seen even with major companies like Square Enix, Capcom, and Bandai Namco Entertainment.
In the case of Final Fantasy VII, there’s no official explanation as to why the Steam version was region-locked in Japan for all these years, but considering that distribution of the Japan-targeted PC version (sold through Square Enix’s e-store) ended in April 2025, it’s possible that the new Steam release is meant to replace it.
For now, we know that the new Steam version will replace the 2013 PC port of FFVII, with the latter still being available to players who own it but no longer purchasable. Additionally, owners of the 2013 edition will receive the new version at no additional cost, albeit save data will not be compatible between the two. Square Enix has also mentioned that the re-release will bring improvements to gameplay.
Related: Japanese publishers’ habit of region locking games in Japan may finally be changing
