Before Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles brought the classic strategy role-playing game to modern platforms, the most notable remake was Final Fantasy Tactics: The War of the Lions for the PlayStation Portable. That 2007 version offered a wealth of bonus features, including new job classes, guest characters, additional cutscenes, and even a multiplayer mode.
However, these enhancements were absent from the newly released Ivalice Chronicles remaster. Dedicated players and modders have taken it upon themselves to restore what many consider essential elements of the definitive experience. Their efforts are already bearing fruit, especially for those playing on PC, who can benefit from fan-made modifications that revive the lost features and introduce fresh ways to enjoy the game.
War of the Lions introduced beloved additions such as guest characters Balthier from Final Fantasy XII and Luso from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift. It also added two powerful job classes—Dark Knight and Onion Knight—allowing regular recruits to match the strength of named companions. The version’s wireless multiplayer mode enabled players to cooperate or compete for treasure, providing a social aspect absent from the original 1997 release.
Modders revive old features and add new ones
Reintroducing the multiplayer mode may take more time and technical skill, but many of the other missing elements have already been restored through mods. Fans such as NexusMods user DanaCrysalis have gone even further by incorporating extra content and quality-of-life improvements. Among the most notable additions are the Red Mage and Blue Mage job classes, borrowed from the Final Fantasy Tactics Advance spin-off.
Modders have also introduced smaller yet meaningful fixes, such as preventing monsters—including the iconic Chocobos—from endlessly laying eggs and cluttering the player’s roster. Others have added more challenging random encounters across the world map, providing experienced players with a new level of difficulty and replay value.
While these modifications breathe fresh life into the PC version, console players remain unable to access them. For now, the modding community continues to refine and expand the remaster’s content, ensuring Final Fantasy Tactics remains a living, evolving classic.
Developers defend the decision to stay faithful
Square Enix, the publisher behind the series, has addressed the absence of the bonus material. Director Kazutoyo Maehiro explained that the development team had considered adding the content from War of the Lions, but ultimately decided against it.
“We did, of course, consider the addition of new jobs, abilities, and characters—including the jobs featured in War of the Lions,” Maehiro said before launch. “However, the original version of Final Fantasy Tactics is a very complete game, both from a game design and story perspective. If we were to make major changes, it would only be a loss for not only fans of the original game, but also those new to the title.”
Even so, early discussions reportedly explored the addition of completely new material. The game’s original writer and director, Yasumi Matsuno, recently revealed on X that he had considered expanding the story to include recruitable characters such as Miluda and Izlude. Ultimately, this idea was abandoned due to the project’s limited budget and scope, which already necessitated rebuilding the game’s lost source code from scratch.
“I think that if we were to do that, we should just make a new game,” Matsuno explained.
For now, fans agree that if Square Enix is not ready to develop a new title, the thriving modding community will ensure Final Fantasy Tactics continues to evolve. Through their dedication, players can once again experience the depth and variety that made War of the Lions a standout entry in the Final Fantasy series.
