Dedicated fans are modding the recent Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles remaster to restore bonus features cut from the original PSP version. These include extra job classes, guest characters, and quality-of-life improvements for PC players. Console users, however, remain unable to access the mods.
Background on the Remaster
Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles is a modern remaster of the classic strategy RPG, bringing the 1997 original to current platforms. Unlike the 2007 War of the Lions edition for PlayStation Portable, which added significant bonus content, the new version omitted these features to preserve the game's original design and story integrity.
The War of the Lions updates included guest characters like Balthier from Final Fantasy XII and Luso from Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift, new job classes such as Dark Knight and Onion Knight, additional cutscenes, and a wireless multiplayer mode for cooperative or competitive play.
Modding Efforts
PC modders have stepped in to recreate this content. NexusMods user DanaCrysalis has released mods adding the Red and Blue Mage job classes from Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, along with other tweaks. Additional mods address quality-of-life issues, such as preventing monsters like Chocobos from endlessly producing eggs that fill party rosters. There's also a mod introducing extra-difficult random encounters to increase challenge.
Multiplayer restoration may require more complex work, but single-player enhancements are already available, offering fresh reasons to revisit the game on PC.
Developer Perspective
Square Enix director Kazutoyo Maehiro explained the decision to exclude bonuses: “We did of course consider the addition of new jobs, abilities, and characters—including the jobs featured in War of the Lions. 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.”
Original writer and director Yasumi Matsuno shared on X that early discussions explored expanding the story, such as recruiting characters like Miluda and Izlude. However, due to budget and scope constraints—including rebuilding the lost codebase—these ideas were shelved. “I think that if we were to do that, we should just make a new game,” he said.
For now, the modding community fills the gap, though console players miss out.