Controversial Final Fantasy X Feature Is Now Star Wars Canon

By Marc Deschamps

Star Wars Brotherhood released earlier this month, and the novel contains a number of Easter eggs for fans to discover. Writer Mike Chen recently posted a thread on Twitter highlighting some of these, and it seems one of the most interesting isn't a Star Wars reference at all! In the novel, Chen makes reference to Blitzball, a sport being played in a lake. Of course, Final Fantasy X also happens to have an underwater sport by that name, and Chen has confirmed that the connection is an intentional one. It seems the writer was a big fan of the sport, and wanted to bring it to the world of Star Wars!

"There's a reference to a sport called Blitzball played in a local lake. Blitzball is basically underwater hockey played as a minigame in Final Fantasy X. As a former NHL writer, I freaking loved Blitzball and spent hours winning leagues," Chen wrote on Twitter.

While it might seem unusual to see a reference to Final Fantasy in a Star Wars novel, this isn't the first time we've seen connective tissue between the two franchises. Most notably, the X-Wing pilots Wedge Antilles and Biggs Darklighter are referenced in a number of different Final Fantasy games, including Final Fantasy VII. After decades of seeing Star Wars referenced in the series, it's actually pretty interesting to see it go the other way!

First released in 2001, Final Fantasy X's main character is Tidus, a star Blitzball player. The sport plays a major role in the game's narrative, which is one element that can prove frustrating for some players! While the sport remains a controversial part of the game after more than 20 years, Final Fantasy X is still considered one of the best games in the series. In fact, it's the first Final Fantasy game to ever get a direct sequel, and many are still holding out hope for a third game!

Final Fantasy X is currently available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Did you catch this reference in Star Wars Brotherhood? What are your thoughts on Blitzball? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk about all things gaming!

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