Ethan Crossfield 
If you’re deciding whether to jump into Final Fantasy 7 Revelation for its mini-games, the biggest early signal is clear: Queen’s Blood is returning—but not as a straight copy. Game director Naoki Hamaguchi says players will notice a major change as they dig into the story, and he also outlined a new lead character for the card game alongside rule and difficulty adjustments.
What’s changing in Queen’s Blood
Queen’s Blood is coming back in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, and Hamaguchi confirms that the return is being shaped by player feedback from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. The director also points to a “big change” that will become obvious once players move past the initial setup and experience the story context around the mini-game.
Mechanically, the source describes Queen’s Blood as a grid-based card game with three lanes and five spaces per lane. Turns revolve around placing cards from your deck into the grid. Each card includes its own requirements and positional effects, so where you play matters as much as what you play.
For collectors, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth previously offered 145 Queen’s Blood cards. Those cards could be acquired through vendors, by defeating NPC opponents, or by completing specific side missions. With the mini-game returning in Revelation, the exact number of cards (and how many are newly added versus returning) is still unknown.
Who’s affected: Red XIII replaces Cloud as the lead
The most visible change for fans is the protagonist role inside Queen’s Blood. Hamaguchi says Red XIII will be the main protagonist for Queen’s Blood in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, effectively succeeding Cloud as the lead character associated with the mini-game.
The reasoning is tied to a scene from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth: Red XIII appears standing on two legs and dancing while playing Queen’s Blood in disguise. Hamaguchi’s explanation suggests Revelation is leaning into that moment as the narrative justification for the shift in focus.
Beyond the character swap, the director also indicates that Queen’s Blood will receive balance changes to its rules. He adds that additional difficulty settings will be available, giving players more control over how challenging the mini-game feels. Hamaguchi frames this as part of a broader accessibility effort, while still maintaining the expectation that Revelation will include plenty of mini-games and side content.
What comes next for mini-games and story fights
Revelation is expected to match—and potentially exceed—the mini-game quantity seen in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, according to Hamaguchi. However, he also voiced concern about side content overload based on experiences with Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth, implying Revelation’s design choices will try to balance variety with player fatigue.
Queen’s Blood is not the only confirmed mini-game moment. Hamaguchi confirms that the slap fight between Tifa and Scarlet will appear in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation as part of the main story. What’s unclear is whether it will be handled as a quick-time event, as in the original Final Fantasy 7, or reimagined into a full one-on-one battle.
Finally, the director notes that new systems and content will accompany the mini-game return, including the Job-inspired FITS system. Combined with Queen’s Blood rule tuning and difficulty options, Revelation’s early pitch is that it wants to keep the variety, but refine the experience for different player preferences.
What players should know
- Queen’s Blood returns in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, and the story will reveal a major change.
- Red XIII is confirmed as the Queen’s Blood protagonist, replacing Cloud’s lead role.
- Expect rule balance updates and added difficulty settings for Queen’s Blood.
- The source confirms 145 Queen’s Blood cards existed in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, but Revelation’s total/novel card count is not yet stated.
- A Tifa vs. Scarlet slap fight will be included in the main story, but its format (QTE vs full battle) is still uncertain.
Expert View
Hamaguchi’s approach reads like a careful middle ground: keep Queen’s Blood’s core grid-and-lane structure while adjusting rules, difficulty, and even the character framing around the mini-game. For players who loved the Rebirth version, the Red XIII shift is the biggest “feel” change—yet the promise of balance and accessibility suggests Revelation is trying to address friction without trimming what made the card game popular.
