SQUARE ENIX GALLERY CARDS Vol. 1 FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary Collection will launch in Japan on January 8, 2027. Created to celebrate four decades of Final Fantasy, the debut release features 180 card variations based on 97 illustrations from across the series.
Highlights include premium foil treatments, NFC-enabled cards linked to Final Fantasy music and a serialized chase card featuring Yoshitaka Amano’s digital signature. Collectors can explore more official Final Fantasy merchandise and collectibles while waiting for Square Enix to reveal the complete card checklist.
Note: Gallery Cards are collectible art cards, not playable cards for the Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. Square Enix has not announced any gameplay function or connection between the two product lines.
Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Gallery cards details
The first Gallery Cards release contains 180 card variations based on 97 different illustrations. This distinction is important: the set does not contain 180 completely different pieces of artwork. Some illustrations appear in multiple finishes or rarity levels.
Each pack contains five cards and costs ¥550, including tax. A sealed box contains ten packs, providing 50 cards in total, and carries a Japanese retail price of ¥5,500.
The cards measure approximately 88 × 63 mm, making them slightly taller than many standard trading cards. Square Enix has used a newly drawn illustration of Y’shtola from Final Fantasy XIV for the packaging’s main visual.
The confirmed product specifications are:
- Official Name: SQUARE ENIX GALLERY CARDS Vol.1 FINAL FANTASY 40th Anniversary Collection
- Release date: January 8, 2027
- Cards per pack: 5
- Packs per box: 10
- Cards per box: 50
- Japanese box price: ¥5,500
- Complete collection: 180 card variations
- Included artwork: 97 illustrations
- Card size: approximately 88 × 63 mm
- Manufacturer: Square Enix
The collection will feature characters and memorable scenes from across the Final Fantasy series. However, Square Enix has not yet published a complete checklist, and several high-rarity designs remain unrevealed. Collectors should therefore avoid assuming that particular characters or games are included based only on promotional imagery.
Rare cards and special features
The first set includes 12 rarity and finish categories, ranging from standard Common cards to the serialized Ultima Legend Rare. Together, these categories account for all 180 variations.
Yoshitaka Amano Ultima Legend Rare
At the top of the announced lineup is one Ultima Legend Rare card, abbreviated as UTL.
This special card features a digital signature from Yoshitaka Amano, whose artwork has played a defining role in the visual identity of Final Fantasy since the original game. Each UTL card also carries an individual serial number, making it the set’s most prominent chase card based on the information revealed so far.
Square Enix specifically describes the feature as a digital signature. It should not be presented as a hand-signed or personally autographed card.
The company has not revealed how many serialized copies will exist or how frequently the UTL card will appear. Any pull-rate or production-number estimates would therefore be speculation.
Phantom Legend Rare
The collection also contains one Phantom Legend Rare card, or PTL.
Square Enix says this card uses a three-dimensional holographic effect created using Japanese printing technology. Its final appearance and the illustration selected for it have not yet been fully shown.
Although the PTL is clearly one of the set’s premium cards, Square Enix has not published official pull rates. It is therefore safer to describe it as a special 3D holographic rarity rather than claim that it is guaranteed to be the second-rarest card.
NFC-Enabled Harmonic Rare cards
One of the most unusual features of Gallery Cards is the inclusion of 16 Harmonic Rare cards, abbreviated as HR.
Each Harmonic Rare contains an embedded NFC tag. By holding a compatible smartphone or NFC-enabled device near the card, collectors can access a page containing links to supported music-streaming services. They can then select an available platform to listen to the music associated with the card.
The music is not stored directly inside the physical card. Instead, its NFC tag connects the device to an external page where streaming options are displayed.
Availability may depend on the user’s device settings, region and existing streaming subscriptions. Square Enix also notes that certain services may be unavailable without a subscription or may require an additional payment.
The individual tracks connected to the 16 Harmonic Rare cards have not yet been announced. That leaves one of the collection’s most interesting questions unanswered: which pieces of Final Fantasy music will Square Enix select to accompany the artwork?
Other foil and standard rarities
Beyond the three headline features, the set includes multiple special foil, foil and standard variations:
- Material Legend Rare: 9 types
- Super Rare: 18 types
- Harmonic Rare: 16 types
- Legend Rare Foil: 9 types
- Rare Foil: 18 types
- Uncommon Foil: 27 types
- Legend Rare: 9 types
- Rare: 18 types
- Uncommon: 27 types
- Common: 27 types
The Material Legend Rare and Super Rare categories use special foil treatments, while the Legend, Rare and Uncommon illustrations also appear in dedicated foil variations.
Square Enix has not confirmed the number of high-rarity cards included in each box. There is currently no official guarantee that opening one box will produce an HR, SR, ML, PTL or UTL card.
Should collectors buy packs or a box?
Individual packs are the more accessible option for fans who simply want to experience the new series. At ¥550 for five cards, one pack provides a low-cost entry point without committing to a complete box.
A box is more suitable for collectors who want to open a larger selection, improve their chances of encountering different illustrations or keep a sealed product as part of a Final Fantasy anniversary collection. Ten packs provide 50 card slots in total.
However, a box should not be mistaken for a complete set. With 180 variations available, even a duplicate-free box would contain less than one-third of the full collection. In practice, duplicate cards may make completing the set more challenging.
Until Square Enix publishes collation details, collectors should not assume that every box contains a specific foil or high-rarity card. Those primarily interested in the UTL, PTL or a particular Harmonic Rare may want to wait for additional product information before deciding how many boxes to order.
Where to pre-order the Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Gallery cards?
Preorders opened through the Japanese Square Enix e-STORE on September 10, 2026. Other online stores and retailers in Japan began accepting reservations from September 11.
International collectors can preorder the SQUARE ENIX Gallery Cards Vol. 1 Final Fantasy 40th Anniversary Collection from Japan Figure. Japan Figure is a Japan-based retailer specialising in authentic Japanese figures, trading cards and officially licensed collectibles, with international shipping available to collectors outside Japan.
Although the product was first announced with Japanese pricing and preorder dates, it has also appeared through international retailers. It should therefore be described as a Japanese release rather than a Japan-exclusive product. Prices outside Japan may vary due to exchange rates, import expenses, and international distribution costs.
More cards will be revealed at Tokyo Game Show 2026
Square Enix has confirmed that the Gallery Cards collection will be displayed at the SQUARE ENIX SHOP booth during Tokyo Game Show 2026, held at Makuhari Messe from September 17 to 21.
Visitors will be able to examine card designs that have not yet been publicly revealed, as well as details from some of the higher-rarity cards. Further information is expected through Square Enix’s official merchandise channels.
The exhibition may provide a closer look at the UTL and PTL treatments, additional character artwork and the physical finish of the NFC-enabled Harmonic Rare cards. However, collectors should wait for Square Enix’s official announcements before drawing conclusions about the checklist or pull rates.
SQUARE ENIX GALLERY CARDS Vol. 1 stands out through its anniversary artwork, premium foil treatments, serialized Yoshitaka Amano digital-signature card and NFC-enabled music features. Although the full checklist and pull rates remain unknown, its distinctive presentation makes it a noteworthy 2027 release for Final Fantasy collectors.