In the upcoming game Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the character Reno won't be as prominent as before.
Keiji Fujiwara, the Japanese voice actor for Reno, passed away due to cancer before recording sessions could begin for the game.
To pay tribute to Fujiwara's contributions, Director Tetsuya Nomura decided to use previously recorded lines of Fujiwara's voice for Reno in the game.
Since the game's development was too advanced to recast the character, using Fujiwara's past recordings was the best way to maintain the character's consistency.
Reno will receive a new Japanese voice actor in the third installment of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, where he is expected to play a more significant role.
Reno is a member of the Turks, an organization employed by Shinra, known for frequently clashing with the game's heroes, especially Cloud.
In addition to the original game, Reno has made appearances in other Final Fantasy VII-related titles like Crisis Core and Ever Crisis.
The third game in the remake trilogy will feature the location Wutai, and it's suggested that this change may be related to adapting the storyline due to Keiji Fujiwara's passing.
Fans are eagerly awaiting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, set to launch as a timed PS5 exclusive on February 29, 2024.
The article hints at potential alterations to the game's plot compared to the 1997 classic, as Square Enix has introduced timeline changes in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, adding excitement to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.