FF7 Rebirth: Best Chocobo Race bird and equipment build

The best Chocobo, gear, and strategy to win every Chocobo Racing event in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth

Contents

1. Best Chocobo for Chocobo Racing – FF7 Rebirth
2. Best gear for Chocobo Racing – FF7 Rebirth
3. How to win Chocobo Races – FF7 Rebirth

Upon returning to the Gold Saucer from Nibelheim in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, you’ll find that the Chocobo Races are open for business, and it’s up to Cloud to jockey a Chocobo to victory. You can choose any of the Chocobos that you’ve unlocked in the various regions, and equip them with the gear you’ve collected over the course of the game.

This means there are a lot of options – in this guide we’re breaking down the most important choices, and giving you the necessary tips you need to accelerate ahead of the competition and come first in every Chocobo Race. Just read through our tips below for the best Chocobo and equipment to use in FF7 Rebirth’s Chocobo Racing minigame.

If you’re a big fan of Rebirth’s minigames, make sure to check our list of every FF7 Rebirth minigame ranked.

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Best Chocobo for Chocobo Racing – FF7 Rebirth

Piko is the first, and the best / Square Enix

We won every Chocobo Race – with zero losses – while riding aboard Piko, the very first Chocobo you ride in the Grasslands. Piko’s special ability is Speed Burst, which is a speed increase. It’s simple, yes, but you want to stay ahead, not compete with the pack. There’s no need for buffs that help you fend off enemy racers if you’re too far ahead for them to hurt you. The Speed Burst however will keep you solidly in the lead, even if you fumble a few drifts.

Best gear for Chocobo Racing – FF7 Rebirth

Gear is a key component you need to win / Square Enix

This is our recommendation for Chocobo Racing gear:

• Shinra Avian Helmet – High Speed
• Hyperion’s Armor – Final Push
• Mystical Anklets – Sprinter

It’s pretty self-explanatory, right? These gear parts all focus on speed so you can stay ahead of the competition. Hyperion’s Armor, which offers the Final Push ability which increases speed in the final lap, could be swapped out for the Gi Cloak – which has the Damage Control ability to keep your speed up when damaged – if you find yourself in the middle of the pack in the tougher races.

How to win Chocobo Races – FF7 Rebirth

Speed is your friend / Square Enix

First, a balloon breakdown:

• Blue balloons increase overall speed slightly, to a maximum of 10
• Yellow balloons give you a Dash, you can hold two at a time
• Red balloons increase your Special Ability meter

You should aim to grab red balloons primarily so you can speed ahead of foes, but grabbing blue and yellow balloons is a good idea too. Just keep in mind you don’t need to keep grabbing blues past the tenth.

Win every race, easily / Square Enix

Now you know exactly what the balloons do, you just need to find the best line in each course, and master that drift, as you’ll get a boost after drifting around corners. It has a bit of start-up time, so you might need to get used to pressing the drift button earlier than you might expect to.

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