Final Fantasy 14 expansion Evercold is on its way, so it's a great time to take a step back and look at what might just be one of the best raid tiers the MMO has seen to date: the Arcadion.

It's no secret that Dawntrail, as an expansion, left many of us a bit disappointed – I mean, they can't all be Shadowbringers, am I right? It has dipped in and out of a "Mostly Negative" rating on Steam (now sitting at "Mixed" reviews overall). But, still, it didn't go wrong in every delivery.

In fact, its raid series, the Arcadion, is widely regarded as one of the greatest… both for casual players and hardcore fans tackling the Savages.

As a dedicated raider myself, I'm interested to see what Evercold's own raids might bring – and what Square Enix learned from the Arcadion's solid reception. So I ask assistant director Tsuyoshi Yokozawa during a recent interview what the developers are considering carrying over into the next tier.

"Our experience with the Arcadion has served as a firm guideline for our future battle content development," he tells me… which, yeah, makes a lot of sense.

"We would like to strongly carry over the following three points in particular into the next raid series." The first is the "pursuit of unique experiences without fear of risk" – something I'm certainly a fan of.

"What this series has reaffirmed for me is that surprise and novelty are at the very heart of what makes content truly entertaining," Yokozawa explains. This means risk-taking while battle planning and "'prioritizing unprecedented experiences.'"

This might cost more resources, but it's clearly worked with the Arcadion. I don't think I'll soon forget the fight designs from Dawntrail's high-tier raiding, and I'm ready for more of that. I'm also ready for more of the lead's next point – the "creation of boss characters that players can genuinely connect with."

Is he low-key talking about Honey B. Lovely here and how she became a community icon? I'd like to think so.

"Instead of having them exist purely as enemies to defeat, we want to further emphasize portraying their individuality, background, and personality through the battles themselves," continues Yokozawa on raid bosses, "so that they can be appreciated and loved as characters over the long term." This approach is something Square Enix plans "to place even greater importance on" in Evercold.

The third point the assistant director brings up might have a greater effect on us hardcore raiders than anyone else: "designing gameplay that allows for flexible problem-solving."

According to Yokozawa, "Rather than forcing players to utilize a specific strategy, we value leaving in room for players to approach situations in their own way, using their creativity and judgment to overcome challenges." Comparing different statics' clears proves his point, honestly.

Square Enix "will continue to include mechanics where mistakes can lead directly to a full wipe," but the devs "want to be more deliberate about where those moments occur."

They'll do this "by expanding the opportunities for recovery" – think limit breaks, healing, and rezzes. It's all about the feeling "overcoming difficult situations through players' own resourcefulness" gives us as raiders, and I get it.

Just think about how much better a kill feels when you think you've truly contributed to the static's overall ability to get it – it's a feeling I know well as a healer main. It's nice to see devs acknowledge its power.

As Yokozawa concludes, they "always take our players' voices seriously" and are "committed to creating battles that deliver both excitement and a strong sense of accomplishment." The Arcadion serves as proof.

"Of course, we have much to learn from missteps and areas where we reflect and improve – but we take all of that forward as motivation to keep delivering experiences that can only be found in FF14," he admits, before signing off with a heartfelt message: "I look forward to seeing you all on the battlefield in the next challenge. We hope you will continue to look forward to FF14's battle content in the future!"

I know I already am – my fellow static members definitely are, too. All of these points, along with the upcoming job changes, have me at the edge of my seat.

Final Fantasy 14 fans make their own in-game Tinder, with gil-hungry bunny boys and modded cat girls galore.

Have you heard of the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy 14? Well, Deltarune Chapter 5 is trying to spread the word.

Deltarune Chapter 5 continued the game's story with another new and bonkers episode yesterday, but hidden in between its vibrant pixels is an Easter egg with the subtlety of a sledgehammer smashing eggs. Spotted by Redditor MaximumCompany8921, there are some lines in the new chapter that not-so-quietly nod at Square Enix's evergreen hit.

FFXIV nod in Deltarune Ch5 from r/ffxiv

"There's some drawing by Temmi of her with an additional set of ears)", a text bubble reads. "(Seems to be motivating you to play a certain MMORPG...)" - perhaps one with an expanded free trial...

For those who don't know, Temmie is a cat-like character in the shared Undertale/Deltarune universe who's based on one of the real-world artists behind the game, Temmie Chang. Both share a name, and both evidently love Final Fantasy 14.

Real-world Temmie Chang has notably created tons of really cool Final Fantasy 14 fan art over the years - like the one below - primarily of her Miqo'te character who belongs to the feline-humanoid-hybrid race. So, the reference to in-game Temmie's extra pair of ears likely implies that she, too, loves the Miqo'te (unless, I don't know, she bought a pair of bunny ears from the Gold Saucer or something). Very meta.

sketch request thread (ffxiv WoLs only ver)

— @tuyoki.bsky.social (@tuyoki.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-06-25T16:25:58.226Z

Will we ever see what Deltarune Temmie's Miqo'te looks like? Is she excited for Evercold? What class does she main? Our best bet for answers is probably in Deltarune Chapter 6, which is aiming to launch sometime next year according to lead dev Toby Fox.

Deltarune Chapter 5 update stops flirting from freezing the game and makes the final boss easier if you suck

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy intends to pull the entire FF7 story into its gravitational orbit, series director Naoki Hamaguchi says, so expect even more extended universe references and characters and concepts to show up in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.

"Well, at this time it's best not to say whether Cissnei will appear or not," Naoki Hamaguchi teases at a recent Q&A event in Shanghai when asked about the side character who first appeared in the PSP prequel, Final Fantasy 7: Crisis Core, and then made a surprise reappearance in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth. "But there is one thing I can tell you." (Thanks for the translation, Genki.)

"This Final Fantasy 7 Remake series is not simply a recreation of the original work, but rather, our goal is to create a single, new Final Fantasy 7 that incorporates the settings and concepts of all the previous spin-off titles such as Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus, and Crisis Core," he adds, also pointing to the Dirge of Cerberus characters who pop up in the Intergrade DLC.

"So, since that concept will of course carry over into Revelation as well, not limited to Cissnei, for the last entry, there will be characters that have appeared in the various FF7 compilation games that I think will be there," Hamaguchi says, "and each of these characters has a large and dedicated fanbase, so we want to create a work that can satisfy the feelings of those people."

There you have it – Hamaguchi has previously been a little coy about how heavily Revelation will touch on compilation games, but it's now as good as confirmed.

Cloud and his party's world has expanded greatly in the three decades since their original clash with Sephiroth, as Square Enix has bolted on prequels and sequels and everything in-between to keep its cash cow milking. What's interesting is that Hamaguchi is potentially walking on thorny territory by folding slightly divisive projects into the ongoing remake.

Take PS2 shooter Dirge of Cerberus, a game most people agreed was middling when it came out 20 years ago and a game that hasn't received a big re-evaluation since. Animated sequel film Advent Children didn't fare much better, though it definitely has its fans nowadays.

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake games haven't exactly been strict when (kind of) retelling the original story, however. At least, so far, it seems like the Remake series is more a very liberal, alternate universe sequel to the original game rather than a straight one-to-one copy of it. Hamaguchi's also teased that any potential DLC could involve certain spin-offs, too.

We'll see how deep the references go when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation comes out on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Switch 2 sometime next year.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's portrayal of an "essential" scene from the OG JRPG made game director Naoki Hamaguchi cry in each of his 40 playthroughs.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third part of the JRPG remake from Square Enix, is sure to be part of many content creators' streams when it releases – but that doesn't mean it'll take away from viewers' own gameplay experiences, according to director Naoki Hamaguchi.

The lead explains as much in a recent interview with 4Gamer, stating that developers need to be careful with RPGs like Final Fantasy so that folks aren't satisfied by merely watching videos or streams – but that's not to say he doesn't approve of streamers and the like.

He's simply taken this into account while designing Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, ensuring it's a unique experience for everyone… every time. When the world is "changing," as Hamaguchi says, devs need to, too – and that means making sure a new title like the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is suited for both playing and streaming.

He clarifies his take in a follow-up post online, writing, "I fully support streaming culture," stressing once again that he's not opposed to content creation. "But as times change, I believe the way we design games also needs to evolve."

Hamaguchi concludes, "I'm looking forward to seeing how Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is received."

I'm personally excited to see how it goes as well – not only because I can't wait for the game itself, but because I want to see how Square Enix has managed to strike a balance between content creators' ability to host a fun stream or record an immersive video and players' capacity to enjoy the game firsthand themselves.

I don't often watch streams myself, but I do like gameplay videos here and there – and I see where the director is coming from here, honestly.

It's evident that most games weren't exactly designed with content creation or streaming in mind, even if there's been a rise in watching them rather than purchasing them for convenience, so it's intriguing to hear that some devs are taking this into account during production.

I don't think Final Fantasy 7 Revelation would have an issue with sales either way, though – sure, people will watch it… but it's also the third part of a remake trilogy of one of the best JRPGs to date. Something tells me lots of fans will be lining up to buy it.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's portrayal of an "essential" scene from the OG JRPG made game director Naoki Hamaguchi cry in each of his 40 playthroughs.

There's a point in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth where rookie Turks operative Elena takes a break from being a whiny firestarter and cools off with a stick of sea salt ice cream – a custardy, aquamarine treat featured throughout the Kingdom Hearts series also made by Square Enix. Reasonable fans therefore assumed Elena's frozen dessert was a sweet self-reference, but Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi says no. Not at all.

Hamaguchi tells The Gamer in a new interview, "It might be disappointing to hear this, but Elena's ice cream isn't a homage to Kingdom Hearts."

Now, if you've suddenly started to hear a thousand distant howls, know that it isn't the wind. It's the lonely cries of Kingdom Hearts fans around the world realizing the franchise they constantly fret about being dead is more comatose than they first assumed.

Still, Kingdom Hearts is not dead dead. Sure, it would have been lovely to live in the world where Elena's salty ice cream is a sign that Square Enix loves Kingdom Hearts – in which Cloud-like champion Sora gets to shake hands with Donald Duck – just as much as its other children. However, Square Enix has devoted itself to something better than a measly sign. Kingdom Hearts 4 is definitely in production, the developer confirmed earlier this month, seven years after Kingdom Hearts 3 launched.

I understand, though, that it's hard for some people to feel soothed by that fact when there's still no release date for the action RPG in sight. That's too bad, Hamaguchi suggests. He continues to tell The Gamer that Elena's ice cream simply introduces audiences to the popular Japanese "soda-flavored popsicle called Garigari-kun, which we've actually referenced quite a bit during development." This pop has a mascot that's a hungry schoolboy with a concerningly red mouth, and he shoves Gargari-kun's blue, shaved ice filling into the gaping hole.

"As such, it's closer to say we were envisioning a slightly nostalgic popsicle, reminiscent of the summer," Hamaguchi concludes. Right. Well, now that I've stopped looking at the Gargari-kun mascot's gigantic, hypnotic mouth, I'm thinking you could also say that Kingdom Hearts – whose first installment released in 2002 – is also a slightly nostalgic confection, right?

Final Fantasy 14 boss Yoshi-P has "many game ideas" tucked away that he'd like to do something with, one being a "game design that combines AI and servers."

As the wait for new Final Fantasy 14 expansion Evercold drags on, the MMO's community is finding fresh ways to spice its time in Eorzea up… including via a Tinder-like add-on.

Yes, you read that correctly. We can all try and score our very own Limsa baddies in-game (a girl can dream, right?) thanks to AetherLove – a Dalamud plug-in that adds matchmaking to Final Fantasy 14.

I'm not promoting third-party tools or anything here, but should you be intrigued by the concept, AetherLove apparently functions much like Tinder does… albeit in-game, of course. It's all contained within a convenient mobile (tomestone) window.

All you need to do is set up your profile – you know, include all of the essentials like your favorite music and Final Fantasy character – and et voilà! You can swipe left or right on fellow Warriors of Light, depending on how you feel about their Miqo'tes and what have you.

Do be warned, you'll see a lot of modded outfits (and perhaps more NSFW gpose pictures than you've bargained for). In other words, AetherLove is exactly what it sounds like.

As one might expect, fans are already going wild over the unofficial Final Fantasy 14 Tinder equivalent. It's Lovebringer all over again, except now as a handy add-on – and I can't get enough of the chatter online (and admittedly, in my own Free Company chat) about it.

Heck, just take a peek over at X for AetherLove profile screenshots, ratings, and, of course, drama. It wouldn't be Final Fantasy 14 without some drama, eh?

From the bunny boys looking for sugar mommas to the cat girls seeking their one true love, it's all certainly something to behold. Just how long will it last before Square Enix cracks down on it, Mare Synchronos-style, though?

I do hope it stays up at least a bit longer so that I can continue browsing through the chaos on social media, if I'm honest… but I'm not brave enough to dip my toes into AetherLove's digital dating myself.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have amusing screenshots to share among my FC pals – and various new AetherLove profiles to judge.

Final Fantasy 14 boss Yoshi-P has "many game ideas" tucked away that he'd like to do something with, one being a "game design that combines AI and servers"

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi says that "the presence of diverse, authentic relationships" like the JRPG's same-sex couples help enhance the "realism" of the game's world, and he and the other devs at Square Enix were "incredibly happy" to see fans "paying close attention even to these subtle interactions."

If you watch and listen to the NPCs populating Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's world, you'll have no doubt noticed that there are multiple references to queer romance and relationships – whether it's a man talking about his "dashing" new partner as a friend congratulates him for finding "the one," or a woman asking a female friend if she'd consider dating her after she declares that she's "over men in general."

In an interview with TheGamer, Hamaguchi is asked about one specific pair of women whose relationship evolves throughout the JRPG – the one that starts with a slap fight in Kalm. "To us, what matters is the feeling of a diverse group of people inhabiting this world in an authentic manner," he says. "Rebirth is a game where you encounter many towns, cultures, and relationships throughout your journey. In my view, the presence of diverse, authentic relationships within that journey also enhances the world's realism.

"As such, it feels closer to say that even for these two characters, our goal wasn't to add a same-sex couple just for the sake of adding it, but to portray the stories of those inhabiting this world with sincerity and care," he continues. "In truth, it made us incredibly happy as the development team to see players paying close attention even to these subtle interactions and shifts in relationships."

It's nice to hear, and Hamaguchi has clearly been watching fan reaction closely, as he adds: "My impression is that players also pay close attention to not only whether these depictions are there, but also their detailed nuances, like the emotional distance and conversational tone between characters."

He reiterates Square Enix's aim to create a diverse, realistic world, and notes that "the presence of these relationships didn't feel like a distinct depiction for us, but rather a result of building FF7's world in an authentic way."

With that in mind, it sounds like we can probably expect more cute queer references like this in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation when it launches next year. We already know that it's going to have a "far bigger" open-world map than Rebirth, after all, so it'll be able to house plenty of NPCs for us to meet.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's portrayal of an "essential" scene from the OG JRPG made game director Naoki Hamaguchi cry in each of his 40 playthroughs.

Naoki 'Yoshi-P' Yoshida has been making games for almost 30 years, more than a decade of which has been spent turning Final Fantasy 14 into one of the world's most beloved MMOs, but the iconic game dev doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon. In fact, he apparently has a bunch of game ideas still tucked away in his back pocket, including one that confusingly "combines AI and servers."

When asked by Famitsu about his future plans in a chat translated by TheGamer, Yoshida says, "There are still many things I want to try," alongside ongoing updates and expansions to Final Fantasy 14. "So I have no intention of retiring any time soon, and will continue to run at full speed."

The 52-year-old's last project unrelated to the adamantoise-sized MMO was Final Fantasy 16, for which he served as a producer, but other ideas orbit his brain as well. "There are still many game ideas that are stored away as project proposals, and I would like them to see the light of day someday," he adds.

And one of the proposals he details concerns "a game design that combines AI and servers." What that looks like isn't entirely clear, since Yoshi-P doesn't specify generative AI, and even if he did, I don't think I'd have a better understanding of what he was getting at.

Although he does attempt to explain that the idea could somewhat help to alleviate the game industry's worsening problems. "It's a tough world out there," he says. "With soaring development costs, accelerating technological advancements, decreasing consumer disposable time, and rapid market changes. Though that's precisely why I feel like it's one of the most exciting times for the industry."

Square Enix is no stranger to the worlds of AI and MMOs colliding. The Japan-exclusive MMO Dragon Quest 10 recently welcomed a character called Oshaberi Slimey, a chirpy little creature that's powered by Google's Gemini AI model and comments on player activity with AI-generated text. Needless to say, it didn't go down well with players.

As for Final Fantasy 14, the all-encompassing digital world isn't succumbing to similar tools for now. It's actually just as jolly as ever. The MMO recently patted Japanese taxpayers on the head with an in-game Shiba Inu mount - now who's a good boy? - as it gears up for its next expansion, Evercold.

Yoshi-P himself recently said he can't see an end in sight for Final Fantasy 14, either. That doesn't exactly close the door to other projects set in its world since Yoshi-P also revealed he's considered making a single-player Final Fantasy 14 project, as well, due to some fans' aversion to online games.

Another Final Fantasy 14 Ultimate raid, another controversy – the MMO's fans once again allege world first winners are a "cheater team"

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi may have beaten the upcoming RPG around 40 times already, but there's one scene that still manages to make him cry each time.

Following the long-awaited reveal of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy's third part, Hamaguchi has been doing the media rounds to keep up the excitement ahead of its launch next spring.

He's not been shy in flexing how many times he's been able to finish the RPG before we even knew what it's called, but now he's revealed that there's one scene that still brings him to tears each time he watches it. Naturally, he can't wait for everyone to see it.

"There's this scene that's quite essential to the story of Final Fantasy 7 where Cloud goes into a moment of introspection and discovers his identity, and how it fits with Zack and Aerith," he says to Omlette. "I think the way we portrayed that in Revelation turned out very well, and we're eager for fans to see it.

"I've finished Revelation about 40 times, and every time that introspective scene with Cloud made me cry."

Adding to this on Twitter, Hamaguchi says that it's a "key scene from the original" that's "related to Cloud's identity." He also calls it "one of the most memorable experiences in FF7 Revelation."

Thinking it over myself, I wonder if he's referring to a scene at Fort Condor where Tifa and Cloud fall into the Lifestream, leading to the former piecing together the latter's memories. It's a big moment for Cloud in remembering who he is, though, naturally, I'm sure Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will add some extra bits – Hamaguchi talking about Aerith and Zack implies as much.

But anyway, that's just a theory. We will, of course, have to wait until next Spring to find out. Thankfully, that's not too far away.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director says streamers have caused "a bit of a crisis" for RPGs, and it's up to devs to make sure fans actually want to play a game themselves.

Square Enix is incentivizing Final Fantasy 14 players to pay their taxes promptly by offering in-game cosmetics for the MMO.

As reported by Famitsu (translated and reported by Automaton), Tokyo's Shibuya Ward is offering in-game items to Japanese Final Fantasy 14 players for doing their taxes. Japan's "Furusato Nozei" system allows citizens to donate a portion of income tax to a specific city, as opposed to it all being funneled in the one place, with chosen areas offering incentives to donate to them. This year, Tokyo's Shibuya Ward is teaming up with Square Enix to offer items in Final Fantasy 14.

Through donations, players can choose a number of items, such as a five pack of Fantasia Potions (which allow you to edit your character) for 17,000 Yen, a Megashiba Inu mount for 9,000 Yen, and a Magitek Costume set for 7,000 Yen.

To get all six gift packs you'd need to donate 58,000 Yen (roughly $362). As Automaton points out, the actual in-game price of the same items is estimated around $88, so they're really more of a bonus for your donation to the cause. That's a pretty steep jump for the cosmetics alone, so maybe don't plan on moving to Japan just for them.

But if you're already there and paying your taxes anyway, then there's a way to get some 'free' stuff in the critically acclaimed MMORPG with a free trial that now runs through– alright, I'll stop. Thankfully, these items don't seem to be tied to this incentive. Let's hope it stays that way and we don't see a world with tax exclusives

"Kefka is the ultimate troll": Final Fantasy 14's top raiders are being hoodwinked by a returning JRPG icon proving to be the most annoying Ultimate boss yet

I already own the Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster on the PS Vita, the PS3, the PS4, and of course, both original games on the PS2, so you'd assume that I've had my fill of Spira. However, this new Switch 2 release launching on July 27 for $43 at Amazon Japan is calling my name, as it includes a unique slipcover featuring new 25th Anniversary commemorative artwork. The catch? I'm going to have to import it to add it to my collection.

I've done that before and managed to miraculously spare myself from any hidden customs fees. However, that was the exception and not the rule, and I'll need to come to terms with the fact that adding this version to my Switch 2 game shelf, as it's not available yet in the US or UK physically, will likely require parting with some more of my hard-earned Gil. However, I'm prepared to do just that to add the stunning and unique artwork to my collection.

The stunning artwork in question isn't just found on this unique Switch 2 release alone, as the official Final Fantasy X 25th Anniversary website showcases the gorgeous illustration of Tidus and Yuna on a range of new merch, including a set of Final Fantasy TCG Card Sleeves, and I have my eyes on those, too. It's just nice to see new depictions of my favorite Final Fantasy couple besides the blue-toned art that was used when the Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remasters were originally released in 2014. Though that art does appear to be used on one slide of the special included sleeve.

Sure, the new 25th depiction of Tidus and Yuna is just printed on what appears to be a cardboard sleeve for a game I already own, and the game itself is a game-key card release and is not fully available on the cartridge provided. According to the official producer page, I'll still need 30GB of space on my handheld to actually download and replay the two games again. However, that hasn't stopped my collecting mindset from wanting to grab this version while I can, and fortunately, I already have an Amazon Japan account to do just that.

If you want to do the same, be aware that shipping and customs fees may be a factor. You're also very unlikely to get your copy on the August 27 release day, as it'll need time to ship from Japan to the US (or the UK). Yet, having an Amazon Japan account, particularly if you're a Final Fantasy fan, can be pretty handy as it's regularly one of the first places where a ton of collectibles, like the Final Fantasy Ultimania books, are printed.

It can also be one of the rare places where some merch and limited game versions are available at all. For example, besides this limited version of Final Fantasy X / X-2 HD Remaster on the Switch 2, the Final Fantasy X 25th Anniversary Visual Art Book is available to pre-order for $17.56 (Amazon), which I have yet to find at US or UK retailers.

If you're on the hunt to add more physical Switch 2 games to your shelf, do remember that Nintendo Switch Prime Day deals are on their way. Bezos HQ has already dropped the prices of both full-on-cart and game-key card releases, so there's bound to be plenty more where that came from once Amazon Prime Day officially kicks off on July 23.

• View all Switch 2 gaming deals at Amazon

Check out our guides to the best Nintendo Switch 2 cases, the best Nintendo Switch headsets, and the best Nintendo Switch 2 controllers if you're looking to create the ultimate Ninty gaming setup.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles has received a new update that brings New Game+ and more. Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.

The news was revealed by the OG game creator, Yasumi Matsuno, on Twitter, who simply says, "To provide a more enjoyable gameplay experience, we have released a new update."

So, what are you getting? The headline feature is New Game+, which allows you to start a fresh save with unit levels, item data, and "more" carried over from a completed playthrough.

Aside from that, there are other neat quality-of-life features, like the Zodiac Compatibility function, which lets you view a unit's zodiac sign and compatibility on its status screen. It's all in the same, I suppose.

Aside from that, you're looking at adjustments that make it easier to remove all of a unit's equipment or check an enemy's status mid-battle. One neat change is that the unlock conditions for classes you haven't got yet are more clearly laid out, which may mean less time putting the game down and heading to Google – or whatever search platform you prefer.

You can read the patch notes in full over on Steam. All in all, though, a neat offering that's tempting me back for another run. It isn't immediately clear if New Game+ will scale enemies to your level or allow you to one-shot them like the all-powerful kupo that you are. Either way, it looks like I'll be returning to one of the best Final Fantasy games once more.

Final Fantasy Tactics beat Pokemon when the Mewgenics creators were trying to figure out how combat should work: "One has depth, and the other has the illusion of depth."

The director of Final Fantasy Resonance says that turn-based RPGs are hitting the mainstream once more because that's the sort of combat the people making games these days grew up with, and you only need to look as far as Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 for proof.

Following Final Fantasy Resonance's big reveal at last week's Nintendo Direct, some of the game's developers are doing the media rounds to keep the excitement coming. Naturally, as the JRPG is quite the throwback, some of the conversations center on what's old becoming new again. One half of that is how an HD-2D art style puts a modern shine on a nostalgic art style, though the other half comes down to turn-based combat.

Speaking to IGN about the latter, Final Fantasy Resonance director Hiroto Furuya is asked about the resurgence of turn-based combat in RPGs. Atlus has long been holding the fort with the likes of Persona, sure, but Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 have swept enough awards between them to make turn-based feel trendier from a triple-A perspective than it has been in a hot minute.

For Furuya, the reason we're seeing more turn-based goodness isn't mere development trends, but because developers are putting a spin on what they grew up with.

"I feel like a lot of us creators who had grown up playing turn-based games are now creating games ourselves," he explains. "It feels like there's this general movement towards revisiting and potentially reassessing or reworking some of the experiences we personally had when we were younger."

He adds: "When we're talking about Clair Obscur, I believe they are creators who grew up playing JRPGs."

Furuya then says that this kind of relationship with your inspirations isn't unique to games, and is the sort of thing we're also seeing in anime, manga, and beyond.

"Creators are now revisiting past projects, remaking them, and reimagining them," he says. "That's also potentially a factor that contributes to this kind of resurgence that we're seeing right now."

While it's important to say upfront that turn-based combat never went anywhere – Persona continues to do just fine – some of the triple-A developers you see at places like Square Enix have gradually shifted to real-time under the idea of 'modernizing' what they offer in flagship titles to reach a broader audience.

Obviously, the recent success of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and Baldur's Gate 3 shows you don't have to emulate the likes of The Witcher 3. It's also worth shouting out the many excellent indies like Deltarune and Sea of Stars, also finding success. Heck, Team Asano – the developers behind Octopath Traveler and most things you see that are HD-2D – are doing just that under Square Enix's very roof.

What Furuya touches on, though, is why I'm so intrigued by Final Fantasy Resonance. It's by no means a mainline, triple-A Final Fantasy, no, but it does imagine what a mainline Final Fantasy might look like if Square Enix stuck closer to its roots. I have little doubt we're years away from seeing what Final Fantasy 17 will look like, but as Furuya mentions, the ongoing resurgence of turn-based combat and fans of old-school JRPGs now creating games paint an interesting picture of where things might go. Let a man dream.

"Too good to become unplayable": Final Fantasy Resonance exists because a JRPG veteran was "frustrated" players ignored their game the first time.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation game director Naoki Hamaguchi wants to encourage challenge seekers to brave the JRPG's endgame content rather than tackle something like a New Game+ with added difficulty.

Following the reveal of part three of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy as part of Summer Game Fest, Hamaguchi has been doing the media rounds to drum up some excitement while trying not to give too much away.

As part of that, we've got some idea what Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's endgame might look like. Talking to Italian outlet Everyeye.it, Hamaguchi reveals that you will face some of the JRPG's infamous Weapons during the game.

Much like the original JRPG, though, there will be a few more to face as optional encounters unrelated to the main story, and they'll be among the hardest fights you can subject yourself to in the upcoming game.

"I think one of the differences between Revelation and Remake/Rebirth is that the first two were designed to encourage players to replay the entire adventure on hard mode after completing it," Hamaguchi says (thanks, WCCFTech). "In Revelation, it will be different. There will be several endgame contents here, unlike Remake and Rebirth."

If you need a quick refresher of the OG JRPG, narratively speaking, Weapons are produced and unleashed when the Planet senses a threat to its existence – Sephiroth, basically.

You see plenty of them in the main story, but there are two optional superbosses if you crave the punishment – Ruby and Emerald Weapon. They appear on the open-world map when certain criteria have been met, and are typically best faced when you have really maxed your characters out.

Considering how Square Enix has approached the Remake series so far, I can't see things being too different here. There will likely be more layers, sure, but the bones of the fights will likely stay the same.

What I wouldn't read this as, however, is any confirmation that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation won't include New Game+. Rather, it sounds like Hamaguchi and the game want to give challenger seekers a way to challenge themselves that doesn't mean restarting the game.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation lead thinks a potential Final Fantasy 6 remake would "be in better hands if it went to another creator in Square Enix."

Final Fantasy Resonance makes a striking impression. While Square Enix, and specifically the internal division Team Asano, have been making some excellently modernized takes on retro-styled RPGs for some time across the likes of Octopath Traveler and Dragon Quest, the publisher's premier series, Final Fantasy, has always been left out. Until now. That immediately puts a whole lot of weight behind Final Fantasy Resonance as a project, and as a huge fan of the classics – Final Fantasy 4 'til I die – it was an electric reveal at the recent Nintendo Direct.

That is, until the trailer revealed it'd play host to a litany of returning characters from previous Final Fantasy games, which sounds an awful lot like the grindy, gacha-hungry Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. That makes sense because, well, it is. Looking more closely, Final Fantasy Resonance adapts that mobile game's first story arc. Ah. Generally, I'm happy for mobile games to shed their on-the-go, often-money-hungry trappings, but it's deflating that the RPG series' first true foray into the HD-2D treatment, from Team Asano no less, has to work within the confines of Brave Exvius rather than being an original undertaking.

Swipe left, or right?

As a series fan, I've put my fair share of time into some of the franchise's many mobile games – in particular Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, Final Fantasy 7 Ever Crisis, and the long-defunct Mobius Final Fantasy. I've never come out of the end feeling particularly good about myself, suffering through long, drawn out storylines with staccato, weightless gameplay, juggling the pros and cons of a multitude of live service, lootbox-esque, gacha spins. Yes, I did have Ariana Grande in my party. No, I'm not proud of it.

OK, fair complaints. We've all slipped into live service stupor at one time or another. At any moment, I'm primed to slip back into something like Honkai Star Rail. But then, surely Final Fantasy Resonance, which is "far from just a direct port" and has "been refined and extensively rebuilt as a full-fledged console-quality RPG experience" should be exactly what I want to fix my problems with Brave Exvius, right? On paper, that's correct – I did spend a lot of time playing Brave Exvius wishing it would just let me get on with the story, and that it could have properly designed RPG battles that don't just lean on power scaling and flashy pixel effects.

The problem is that I still feel burned by the experience all this time later. And it's compounded across the other mobile games too. I feel a bit of a sting when I remember all the time I put into Mobius Final Fantasy is lost. When I remember that an interesting dive into the Final Fantasy 7 backstory is locked behind dull-as-a-badly-kept-Buster-Sword battles in Ever Crisis. My respect for a project that aims to salvage and reimagine Brave Exvius butts with my desire to simply see a brand new retro-styled Final Fantasy, and the bad memories have me wondering about the capacity Brave Exvius has to delight given how bogged down in being a mobile game I remember it being.

Don't get me wrong, I really like Final Fantasy's capacity to change and evolve as the RPG series has become more modern. But, as someone who also loves to dip back into old school RPGs to grind levels, weep against unfair bosses, and explore vast worlds that would simply be impractical to develop to a modern fidelity – there's something truly special about the first six Final Fantasy games. The idea of taking modern design principles back into that framework is tantalizing (and I'd say the same if they made one in PS1 style too). I worry Final Fantasy Resonance's big first swing into FF doing something legacy facing that isn't a simple spin-off could be wasted on adapting Brave Exvius.

Yes, I am a bit grumpy. My time with Square Enix's mobile games have given me reason to be. Except… There is one glimmer of hope left, and it comes from another RPG series: Octopath Traveler 0. Released just last year, this is another HD-2D RPG that Team Asono worked on, and it's phenomenal. I've still not finished it, but I've been treasuring melting into its world when I get the time, and I can see why we called it "the strongest entry in this retro-styled JRPG series yet" in our Octopath Traveler 0 review.

Like Final Fantasy Resonance, it's also an adaptation of a mobile game – Octopath Traveler: Champions of the Continent. That mobile game got a middling reception. I didn't even know it existed until the redo was announced. While I'd still prefer a fresh take on a retro-styte Final Fantasy, maybe a part of me is just too close to Brave Exvius to feel completely at ease with the idea of Final Fantasy Resonance until I see more. But, thanks to Octopath Traveler 0, I'm willing to give it a chance – maybe it'll resonate with me after all.

Check out our best Final Fantasy games list for more adventures while you wait!

Remaking a game as iconic and beloved as Final Fantasy 7 was quite the undertaking - Square Enix even had to split the mammoth game into three parts to get it done - so it doesn't surprise me to hear Final Fantasy 7 Revelation lead Naoki Hamaguchi pass on bringing back another classic game in the franchise.

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy is quickly approaching its conclusion with the finale coming sometime in Spring 2027, so what comes next for Hamaguchi and his team is apparently front of mind for many players.

"I do see a lot of fans and community asking me to take on the helm for a FF6 remake," Hamaguchi says of a hypothetical Final Fantasy 6 retelling, in an interview with Game Informer - with Square Enix PR apparently emphasizing the hypothetical part. "So, I'm seeing a lot of that floating online, but, you know, a Final Fantasy 6 Remake or any other remake, it could be me, or it could be someone else. Personally, I think that it might be in better hands if it went to another creator in Square Enix."

As Game Informer notes, the director also reiterated the point to Bloomberg: "It’s not going to be a remake!"

While the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has come out pretty quickly relative to other AAA projects, it's still an endeavour that's taken Hamaguchi more than a decade to realize and, thus, I don't begrudge him for wanting to do something totally new. Not to mention, Final Fantasy 6's huge cast and ever-changing overworld would likely make it an even more ambitious venture than FF7.

"Right in this moment, I'm fully focused on completing FF7 Revelation and ensuring we're delivering the FF7 Remake series in a perfect state, so that's where I'm right now," he adds.

Whether his next game is a remake or not, a Final Fantasy or otherwise, Hamaguchi seemed pretty confident he'd still be making a JRPG.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation devs were "able to remain true" to the original 1997 JRPG, lead says, even if the story order "might be shifted up a bit"

After pumping out two incredible games in the subgenre with a third on the way, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation game director Naoki Hamaguchi thinks his next project will more than likely be another JRPG. Whether that ends up being a new Final Fantasy game or a totally different franchise is still up in the air, though.

Naoki Hamaguchi has served as the director on the entire Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, which finally comes to a close and concludes a bonkers retelling of the 1997 classic in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, coming next year. But what happens after? Hamaguchi's toyed with the idea of DLC, though surely he must move on from Cloud and Tifa eventually...

"In terms of what I personally want to do, obviously, I think my next creative work is also going to be a JRPG," he tells Game Informer when asked about what comes next. "When you look at all the other titles that we have released at Square Enix, not just the FF7 Remake series, I think Square Enix, as a brand, as a company, is more than capable of delivering this grand-scale RPG that could resonate to gamers across the world."

Square Enix built its foundations on massive RPGs and JRPGs. Look no further than some of this past month's biggest reveals from FF7 Revelation to Kingdom Hearts 4 and Dragon Quest 12 - so, it's no surprise that Hamaguchi wants to remain working in a genre he's already deeply embedded in.

"Fans might have a lot of different expectations, but for me personally, I do want to take on this new challenge with another RPG title after this, whether it be Final Fantasy or a different IP," he adds. "Again, we don't know. But personally, if it's not Final Fantasy, that's also exciting, because that could be a challenge for me. So, whatever it is, I hope fans look forward to it."

By the sounds of it, Hamaguchi's not too keen on taking on yet another remake project. But Final Fantasy is such a flexible series, anything's possible.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director says streamers have caused "a bit of a crisis" for RPGs, and it's up to devs to make sure fans actually want to play a game themselves

One of the biggest highlights of this year's Summer Game Fest was none other than the reveal of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third part of the JRPG remake from Square Enix – a part that'll apparently stay as true "as possible" to its 1997 predecessor.

Or, at least, it sounds that way. Director Naoki Hamaguchi tells tells VGC as much in a recent interview, confirming that Square Enix is pressing on with its philosophy to live up to the PlayStation original's memory – even if the developers themselves feel as though axing a certain cutscene or two might work as they're "less important." After all, they might not be interpreted as less important by the fans… and they're who matter to the devs.

"Even for me personally, I might consider some things as less important, but fans might not think that way. So the goal is to keep as much as possible from the original," as Hamaguchi says – but that doesn't mean Square Enix isn't shaking things up at all.

Much like it did with Remake and Rebirth, the studio is altering some of the story timeline so that the order better fits the new trilogy rather than the old PlayStation game.

"That being said," Hamaguchi explains, "there might be some changes that we apply, an example being the sequence of the story beats." He cites the Rocket Town story as an example here, stating that it should've been a sequence in Rebirth instead of Revelation… had the devs chosen to stick to the original's timeline.

Instead, in the remake, it doesn't – or, perhaps more accurately, won't – happen until "the second half of Revelation."

The lead concludes: "We did make some adjustments in terms of the sequence, and the order of how one of these story beats would happen in the game, but again, the general idea is not to make any changes or omit anything. The orders might be shifted up a bit, but in that sense, I think we were able to keep everything as close as we can, so I think the team and I did a pretty good job at that."

That's reassuring to hear. Seeing as Hamaguchi himself is "pretty confident that we were able to remain true to the original," I have a feeling we might see many of the pieces missing from the first two halves of the remake… but I suppose we won't know until 2027.

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are the best new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.

A new nationwide survey in Japanese magazine Famitsu shows that Final Fantasy 7 is still as popular as ever almost 30 years later.

Famitsu – one of Japan's biggest gaming publications – published the results of a poll of the nation's favorite video game characters (via Genki_JPN on Twitter). From the responses of 5,400 participants, unsurprisingly topping the poll is Mario, gaming's number one guy, and second place goes to Cloud Strife from Final Fantasy 7, which also isn't hugely surprising given the popularity of the game to this very day, as well as its beloved remake trilogy currently ongoing.

However, Final Fantasy 7 fans came out in full force, as in third place isn't Sonic, Pikachu, Lara Croft, or any of the other faces of massive franchises – it's Tifa Lockhart from Final Fantasy 7. Tifa is already having a great month with the announcement of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but alongside that, Capcom announced she'll be joining Street Fighter 6 as a DLC fighter for the game's fourth season, after about a decade of Tekken fans begging for her to be added to the series.

The rest of the list isn't exactly full of many shockers, mind you. Kirby comes in fourth, with Link, Leon Kennedy, and Pikachu following. And, with the poll taking place in Japan, you know Dragon Quest has to feature in some form, so as funny as it is, it's not exactly a shock that the Slime would be the most popular character in the series as opposed to any of its protagonists.

Rounding out the top 10 are Sega's first entries on the list, Kazuma Kiryu from the Like a Dragon series and Joker from Persona 5.

At the very least, that should tell you who is winning the eternal Tifa vs Aerith shipping war among Final Fantasy 7 fans…

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation won't pump the brakes on mini-games, including the original's Tifa slap fight.

This year's big Final Fantasy release comes in the form of Final Fantasy Resonance, a complete, HD-2D reimagining of the 2019 mobile game Brave Exvius. Where the original had you select your battles through menus and dailies, for what's known as symbol fights, Resonance goes back to random encounters with more exploration, because the devs believe this is in line with the property's roots.

"Symbol encounters allow players to engage in battle whenever they want," Keisuke Nakashima, producer on Final Fantasy Resonance, tells tells Automaton. "In that sense, symbol encounters are there to accommodate the players' freedom of playstyle. On the other hand, they could also end up resulting in less battles that are truly memorable."

He agrees that RNG can make battles feel tedious, but the uncertainty makes survival more rewarding. "I do think that random encounters can feel like a hassle at times, but they also allow you to make memories," he explains, "like remembering the time you struggled against a really tough enemy or felt the joy of getting lucky with battle rewards. I think those are the kind of moments that actually stick with you."

He's got a point. Some of my most striking memories from playing RPGs involve the sudden terror of being faced with what's apparently a normal adversary in whatever area I've stumbled into. The first time I faced a Grand Dragon in Final Fantasy 9 is one such example. Nakashima mentions the team's tinkering with how the encounters work, to minimize annoyances.

"We've made sure that encounter rates for enemies are lower in dungeons that feature a lot of puzzles," he says. "This is because we concluded that having fewer mob battles while solving puzzles allows for a less frustrating gaming experience."

Resonance director Hiroto Furuya adds that this is all part of their "pursuit of the classic Final Fantasy experience," since this is the first purely turn-based new RPG from the franchise in a number of years. Newer entries are more action RPGs, and in the advent of the remasters of the first six mainline games, there's a desire for this kind of throwback.

"In Final Fantasy 13, all of your HP recovers after each battle. In that sense, I believe FF1 was designed so that each individual battle is entertaining," Furuya tells Automaton. "In contrast, Final Fantasy Resonance tasks you with the problem of how to conquer each dungeon. We came up with an experience where you will have to decide how to allocate MP and other resources, or make sure there are recovery points nearby as you progress through the dungeon."

This, he believes, fits better with random fights. We don't have long to wait to see how it all sits together, as Final Fantasy Resonance arrives on October 22, 2026.

Potential Final Fantasy 7 Revelation DLC could focus on spin-offs like Dirge of Cerberus or Advent Children, director hints, as long as fans want it.

One of the lead developers on Final Fantasy Resonance says we're getting the throwback JRPG because the now-decreased mobile game it's based on is "too good to become unplayable."

Following Final Fantasy Resonance's big reveal, producer Keisuke Nakashima has been doing the media rounds to share more details about the upcoming JRPG. What I've found most interesting is how it's all come about.

Nakashima explains that the game proposal was first shared at the end of 2020, and the pitch was quite simple. Final Fantasy Brave Exvius – a game he previously worked on – wasn't getting the respect it deserved.

"There are a couple of reasons why I decided to create Final Fantasy Resonance," he tells Automaton. "I've previously worked on FFBE as an assistant producer, and I wanted to show all the things that make the game so great to an even wider audience.

"FFBE is packed with entertaining features from each of the numbered entries in the main Final Fantasy series. Airships and Chocobos appear, and there are secret treasure chests lying in the hidden parts of dungeons – it's filled with stuff that screams 'Final Fantasy.'

"I thought it would be a shame for such a wonderful game to become unplayable via mobile, and that's one of the reasons I decided to create Final Fantasy Resonance for consoles."

What's interesting to me is that his desire has only become more relevant with time. It was just last year that Square Enix ended service for Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, so it's no longer just the case that you only play it on mobile – you can't play it at all.

Regardless, people's hesitancy to try Final Fantasy Brave Exvius has clearly stuck with Nakashima to this day.

"Back when we initially released FFBE, we got a lot of feedback from users saying that they want to play the game as a console title," he says. "Of course, we were confident about expanding FFBE as a mobile app.

"However, there were a lot of people who told us that they wouldn't play the game simply because it wasn't available on console. I was so frustrated about it. Or maybe I should say, I felt like it was such a shame that they wouldn't give it a try. It's such a fun game, but they didn't even want to have a go at it just because it was a mobile app."

While things have, perhaps, not played out as Nakashima might have expected, it appears he's going to get his wish. Final Fantasy Resonance is due to release later this year, and for many, it will show off what FF Brave Exvius no longer can.

To be fair, it makes for an alluring package. Fans have been crying out for an old-school, turn-based JRPG in the Final Fantasy series that looks more like Octopath Traveler than the current trends of AAA RPGs. It makes for a fitting bonus, though, that Final Fantasy Resonance might also preserve an experience that others can no longer enjoy.

In a big win for JRPG sickos, Square Enix confirms Final Fantasy Resonance is being made by the team behind Octopath Traveler and more, if the HD-2D art style didn't already give it away.

Nothing's been set in stone yet, but Final Fantasy 7 Revelation DLC is on the table and director Naoki Hamaguchi is thinking about incorporating FF7's various spin-offs should fans want it loudly enough.

Square Enix is finally concluding its expansive remake of Final Fantasy 7 next year, but the third and final part of the trilogy doesn't include the entire Final Fantasy 7 story. Spin-off games like Dirge of Cerberus and the sequel movie Advent Children understandably fall outside of the remake series' scope... for now, at least.

Speaking to Famitsu, Hamaguchi says potential expansions for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation could happen if there's enough of an appetite from fans and if player demands are significant enough. (Thanks for the translation, Genki.)

The Remake series director then suggests the team is also considering ways to explore parts of the Final Fantasy 7 universe that weren't depicted in the original game, such as spin-off games. He doesn't name any names, but there's plenty of extended universe Final Fantasy 7 stories to choose from.

Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy 7 is probably the most high-profile side game that we've yet to see folded into the modern remakes. Mostly set three years after the events of the base game, the somewhat notorious shooter focuses on the usually moody but still loveable Vincent Valentine.

Then there's the controversial animated movie Final Fantasy 7: Advent Children, a proper sequel that reintroduces Cloud, the entire gang, and main baddie Sephiroth for another fight. Though the scope of the film is perhaps a little too large to cram into a single expansion, it is a possibility.

When asked about the possibility of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation itself including links to Advent Children, Hamaguchi recently said players would need to wait and see for themselves "what the conclusion of the journey holds." Very coy indeed. The Remake trilogy so far has been very liberal in its retelling – or, rather, reimagining – of the original game, so its ending veering off course wouldn't surprise me in the slightest.

We'll see how it shakes out when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation launches early next year on PC, PS5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Xbox Series X|S simultaneously.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's story changes based on your choices, but director Naoki Hamaguchi says the JRPG will have a "singular ending."

Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy Resonance is being made by Team Asano, which is rather excellent news if you enjoy the likes of Octopath Traveler, Bravely Default, and the latest Dragon Quest HD-2D remakes of games one to three.

Following the new Final Fantasy game's big reveal at the latest Nintendo Direct – you can see everything announced at said Nintendo Direct here – Square Enix kicked off a good ol' livestream to share more about the upcoming game.

While Final Fantasy Resonance's HD-2D art style might have been a giveaway, Square Enix confirms that the game is indeed being made by Team Asano. In fact, Tomoya Asano is serving as an executive producer on this one.

Also spotted by the ever-reliable Genki on Twitter, Final Fantasy Resonance producer Keisuke Nakashima says it'll take you 30-40 hours to complete the JRPG, though completionists can expect to spend up to 80 hours on this one. We've also got a glimpse of the open-world map, Chocobo riding, and flying an airship.

While it's only been a few days since the reveal, some excitement for Final Fantasy Resonance has been sticking around GamesRadar+ towers. My colleague Austin called the JRPG "the one Final Fantasy game I've wanted for eight years," and I think the news that Team Asano is behind this one only adds to that.

Essentially, there are plenty of Final Fantasy fans – me, hello – who have been calling out for an old-school, turn-based JRPG that hits the nostalgia vibes like some of the games that Team Asano has put together. Look at Octopath Traveler or any of the recent Dragon Quest HD-2D remakes, and you'll see what I mean – turn-based combat when real-time has become the go-to, graphics that are familiar yet refreshed, and so on.

Final Fantasy Resonance has made a good start, then, and I'm interested to see what's to come. October 22 can't come soon enough.

Final Fantasy Resonance fans want the true stars of Brave Exvius, not just JRPG icons like Cloud and Tidus: "Bring my girl Ariana Grande back."

The advent of streaming on the likes of Twitch and Kick presents a dilemma for game developers. On the one hand, it's a lot of free advertising, but on the other, there's a risk some of the audience is satisfied simply watching something be played rather than trying it themselves. With Final Fantasy 7 Revelation coming next year, the remake trilogy's director believes it's on the devs to make sure people are always inspired to pick up the controller.

Naoki Hamaguchi, who co-directed Final Fantasy 7 Remake before overseeing Rebirth and Revelation, spoke on the subject to 4Gamer. "One thing RPGs like Final Fantasy need to be careful about today is the possibility that people might simply watch a stream and feel satisfied without ever playing the game themselves," he says, as translated by Automaton.

"This is a bit of a crisis for the work itself," he adds. "Or rather, it's not something game creators can wholeheartedly celebrate." It's noted he's very clear about not putting down streamers, but rather just acknowledging how they've altered the landscape.

In his mind, the challenge is now to make something where players feel like they need to play in order to have their own experience. "If people watch a stream and it makes them think, 'What would I do in that situation?' or 'How would I experiment with that?', then hopefully they’ll be inspired to try it themselves," he comments.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the third and final part of the remake trilogy, is being developed with this MO, as player choices can impact elements of your progression. To what extent isn't specified, but Hamaguchi mentions there'll be "tension" around how you play in particular moments.

There aren't many crossroads in the original, so I'm very intrigued by how this might manifest. Could characters die? Or be somehow incapacitated? As a big fan of both Remake and Rebirth, in Hamaguchi I trust. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is due out the first half of 2027.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation has a "far bigger" open world map than Rebirth, says director, and some Rebirth locations aren't the way you remember them.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is the talk of JRPG town post-Summer Game Fest 2026, but as much as I am looking forward to it, the third installment in a remake of an old JRPG is less interesting to me than fresher experiences. This is one reason that Final Fantasy Resonance, due October 22 and based on the Brave Exvius side game but retooled as a complete package, is at the top of my mind instead.

Resonance represents Final Fantasy's return to turn-based combat and its introduction to the HD-2D style that's come to define some of the best games from Square Enix, from Octopath Traveler to several Dragon Quest remakes. Ever since I first played Octopath Traveler in 2018, I've been hungry for a full-fat Final Fantasy game in the same style, and that hunger's only grown over the years thanks to the likes of The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales.

HD-2D is essentially pixel art embellished with 3D environments sporting modern lighting, shadows, and higher-res details that add depth. In many ways, it feels like a natural evolution of pixel art. I love and play a lot of games with traditional pixel art, but HD-2D hits my eyeballs like nothing else. Final Fantasy was crying out for this aesthetic, and I'm thrilled to see Resonance make it happen.

It's also exciting to see Brave Exvius shed its mobile game trappings, with Square Enix promising an expanded version of the game that will hopefully recenter the series' core identity. It's coming to PS5, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PC, and Xbox Series X, beefing it up and putting it in front of many more players. (I mean, I'm sure a lot of you have phones, but I understand the hesitation to play mobile game spinoffs.)

Resonance seems to retain the Exvius battle system's intriguing chain attack mechanic, it integrates open-world exploration both mounted and airborne, and it looks packed with special moves and cameo characters. It's certainly different from classical titles like Final Fantasy 6, but I'll take whatever turn-based, HD-2D Final Fantasy I can get right now.

Final Fantasy Resonance fans want the true stars of Brave Exvius, not just JRPG icons like Cloud and Tidus: "Bring my girl Ariana Grande back".

As you're likely aware by now, Final Fantasy Resonance is based on the deceased mobile RPG Final Fantasy Brave Exvius. As such, BE fans have wasted little time in demanding that Square Enix remember the girlies that people truly turned up for.

That is, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and Addison Rae. Sit down, Cloud. Now is not your time.

While Final Fantasy Brave Exvius was typical of the series at the time in that you had turn-based combat, crystals, and chocobos, it was also a gacha game. You could spend money – so much money – on getting the likes of Cloud and Tidus when the time came.

That also means collaborations, because that makes people spend money – so much money. You probably see where we're going. Yes, Square Enix put the likes of Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, and more in the game to fight alongside Cloud and the gang.

With all this in mind, you can imagine why many people were quick to think of the pop icons when it was revealed that Final Fantasy Resonance adapts the first arc of the mobile game.

"Ok Final Fantasy Resonance. I'll hear you out if you bring my girl Ariana Grande back," one fan writes, as another says: "If Ariana Grande and Katy Perry isn't in Final Fantasy Resonance then this was a failed project."

Put her in Resonance you cowards from r/FinalFantasy

Ok Final Fantasy Resonance. I’ll hear you out if you bring my Girl Ariana Grande Back.

— @karlosthefog.bsky.social (@karlosthefog.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2026-06-10T15:09:06.086Z

While Square Enix has claimed that Final Fantasy Resonance is "far from just a direct port," it has also confirmed that 'Visions' make their return, which are figures from other games in the series. In the trailer, in fact, we can see the likes of Cloud, Tidus, and the OG Warrior of Light.

So, the idea is certainly intact, though in our heart of hearts, we all know that the likes of Ariana Grande probably aren't making a return due to various rights agreements likely expiring or whatever. Still, people bullied Sony into bringing Morbius back to cinemas, so who's to say this can't be manifested with enough shitposting online?

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation has a "far bigger" open world map than Rebirth, says director, and some Rebirth locations aren't the way you remember them.

This recent Nintendo Direct has been quite the showcase, offering sneak peeks and first looks at all sorts of exciting titles – including Final Fantasy Resonance, a new JRPG from Square Enix that feels a whole lot like Octopath Traveler.

Final Fantasy Resonance is set to arrive on October 22, 2026, and it's stunning. Unveiled as "the first Final Fantasy game in HD-2D" – the very same art style that Octopath Traveler and its sequel use, the new entry in Square Enix's decades-old series will be available to play on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.

It features the same turn-based battles folks know and love Final Fantasy for, as well as recurring iconic characters like Cloud Strife himself. As for the setting – Lapis, it shares a world with Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, the now-dead free-to-play mobile RPG... and it sort of looks like a remake, honestly.

Unsurprising, seeing as it's "based on the first story arc of Brave Exvius," as per a press release from Square Enix – but is also apparently "far from just a direct port," as "it has been refined and extensively rebuilt as a full-fledged console-quality RPG experience."

Last we saw of Lapis was back in 2025, when Brave Exvius was discontinued – so, this is pretty cool.

It'll arguably be far more accessible to players on the Switch and its newer successor, with many Final Fantasy fans (hi, it's me) not engaging with mobile games as much as console and the like.

Plus, Square Enix is right at home with the HD-2D aesthetic, and if fellow JRPGs like Octopath Traveler offer anything to go by, the studio will ace it with Final Fantasy Resonance.

I'm not alone in thinking so, either, it seems. Comments on the trailer already show an excited community, with one person exclaiming that developers are "giving fans of classic Final Fantasy what they've been begging for!"

Hear, hear! Now, if only October could roll around more quickly...

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are the best new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.

Cloud's story is a big part of the appeal of the Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy, which will soon come to a close with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but to me its combat is just as exciting. Merging real-time action with tactical pause for initiating commands across your three-person party, you can be dishing out impressive combos one moment and then selecting just the right magic to spend your meter on the next. Just as FF7 Rebirth added in synergy attacks, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation adds even more depth with its FITS system.

FITS stands for Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear, meaning that Cloud Strife and the rest of the party weren't just rocking new costumes in the Summer Game Fest trailer simply to strut their stuff. This is a modernized take on job system that's been a crucial part of the series ever since the original Final Fantasy, with strategically swapping jobs becoming vital from Final Fantasy 3. FF7 Revelation isn't the first time job switching has been literalized by different outfits, as it underpinned the dress sphere system in Final Fantasy X-2. While FF7's party members always had their own fixed classes, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation allowing you to swap these around is a big change, and one I'm really excited about.

No job unfinished

"The job system is a pretty iconic factor of the Final Fantasy series as a whole," says Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi when we get the chance to catch up with him at Summer Game Fest in sunny LA. "In the early phases of development, myself and the combat director, Teruki Endo, were in discussions about how we can expand the combat system from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and the idea that we had is to just bring in this job system that resembles the previous FF entries."

Even outside of the storyline, which I'm loving as an original Final Fantasy 7 fan, there's a strong case to be made that the remake saga is one of the best Final Fantasy games on the strength of its combat alone – it already scratches the right itch for me as someone who is a fan of both Devil May Cry 5 and turn-based RPG games like Persona 5. As you progress and unlock new abilities, controlling even one party member like Tifa can feel like a character action game in its own right, so piloting three to bring the smackdown can feel immensely satisfying. Big bust ups can get complicated if you want to do them right, especially when it comes to optional fights.

That's also why the development team have had to be careful about implementing FITS into Final Fantasy 7 Revelation – and it's why you'll only be able to change the jobs of party members between battles. "The basic approach of the hybrid combat system in the FF7 Remake series is that you strategize by switching between your characters mid-combat, so if the players were able to also switch the FITS mid-combat, that might make it too complicated," says Hamaguchi.

The goal of the FITS job system is so that "players can customize their characters based on their personal preferences," he says. "For example, if you look at Cloud, traditionally he's probably seen as more of a warrior type job, where he fights at close range, he fights on the front lines, things like that. But with the FITS system, you can actually apply the Black Mage job to Cloud. By doing that Cloud can not only continue to fight at close range, but he can also attack with long range attacks with his magic too."

Allowing players to approach Final Fantasy 7 Revelation in their own way is a broader theme, as well. With an "even bigger open world map" than in Rebirth, players can airdrop into the "seamless" world from airship Highwind, obtained just "five to six hours" into the new RPG. While environments will have recommended levels, "there won't be anything physically blocking you" entering areas you want to explore, says Hamaguchi. Rather than suggested levels applying to whole regions, they'll be split up into smaller areas of level recommendation, so you can worm your way through some zones even at lower strength.

Similarly, though there is "a singular ending" to the RPG's story, "we wanted each player, each fan to have a unique experience as they head on to the final battle into the story," says Hamaguchi. It's about the journey as much as the destination, so the route you take through the game will create an adventure that feels like your own. "There will be some moments where players will be faced with choices, and based on the choices that they make, these specific moments where we see each character facing the final battle, and the story moments where it shows their resolve as they head into this final battle that determines the fate of the planet, that's going to change a bit between the players based on the choices that they made throughout the game," he says.

That loops right back into the combat, where the FITS system allows for deeper and more unique expression of each individual party member, and how you have them tackle battles. "We really wanted to focus on offering further customization and giving further expansion and depth to the individuality of each character," says Hamaguchi about FF7 Revelation's evolved combat system, no longer having certain party members lean into specifically tank or healer roles, for instance. With this new element of customization, "we're pretty confident that the hybrid battle system has reached its perfected state."

Though introduced in FF7 Rebirth, Vincent and Cid will both be properly playable characters this time around. Vincent is "actually one of my personal favorites to put into my party when I play the games," shares Hamaguchi. His fighting style has "similarities with Yuffie", he says, as "he can actually switch between close range attacks and long range attacks". With his iconic spear, engineer Cid plays like "an aerial version of Red XIII," he continues. "What that means is that there's a plethora of abilities that he can perform in the air against enemies, and that's where he really shines in combat."

Zack Fair, a SOLDIER vital to the backstory of Final Fantasy 7, was playable throughout brand new sequences in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, becoming vital in how that story played out. "We're taking it a step further in FF7 Revelation," teases Hamaguchi. Once again he'll be involved in the main story, but we don't get much information from the director at this stage. "We're pretty confident that all the Zack lovers are going to love what we have in store," he smiles. After all, having seen the menu already in some Final Fantasy 7 Revelation footage, I could almost swear there's room for one more party member to join Cloud's crew. Could Zack finally join up with the main squad instead of being siloed into his own journey?

I'm not getting anything more out of the development team yet, but what we've seen of the new RPG so far already has me incredibly excited. With a huge open world to explore, and a deeper version of a combat system that's propelled the series into being one of best ARPG games as far as I'm concerned, I can't wait to get my hands on this one and get some new combos together. All while making my party style icons with FITS, of course. It's time to slay – literally.

Join me for a bit of nostalgia as I count down my personal best Final Fantasy characters (and let me know if you agree)!

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth marked a transition from the 2020 remake's strictly linear maps into full-blown open world territory, but its world is still made up of several interconnected maps, rather than giant map that can be traversed seamlessly as in Breath of the Wild and Red Dead Redemption 2. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, the upcoming third entry in the remake series, opens things up even more, allowing players to explore the entirety of the map right away, and according to director Naoki Hamaguchi, the map is even bigger than all of Rebirth's distinct maps put together.

Talking to GamesRadar+ during Summer Game Fest 2026, Hamaguchi explains the differences between Rebirth's open world and the one you'll get to explore in Revelation. Chiefly, you'll be able to take to the skies in the Highwind airship and seamlessly explore the entire map without having to deal with progression gates or loading screens, opening up a new dimension of verticality to the map.

"With the third entry of our FF7 Remake series, Revelation, we're offering an even bigger open world map," says Hamaguchi. "How that works is that there's obviously the Highwind [airship] traversal feature where players can fly around in the open world and they can parachute down anywhere they want to. It's not just that, but there's - when you look at the scale of it - the horizontal width of the map is far bigger than Rebirth, but it's also the vertical depth as well because now you can control this skies too."

Hamaguchi previously confirmed that all areas in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be part of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's map, but he tells GamesRadar+ that they won't all be exactly how you remember them.

"I am happy to say that yes, again, all areas featured in Rebirth will also appear in Revelation in the same scope, if not bigger," he says. "We didn't want to just keep it the same as it was in Rebirth. We're actually adding a little bit of touches and twists to it.

"So, for example, if you visit certain areas in the game, you can see the meteor falling from the sky, so it's not just going to be like the same exact areas as it was in Rebirth, I can say that."

I like this in theory, but I'm anxious to see whether Square Enix devotes the time to making sure such a gargantuan explorable map is actually rewarding to explore, from narrative and gameplay standpoints. I know I'm not the only one wary of yet another open world checklist to cross off, and one of my few criticisms of Rebirth is that it follows the tired open world formula of modern Ubisoft games and could've used some variety. Again though, that isn't a hot take by any means, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Square Enix take some of that feedback on board with Revelation.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will launch on PS5, Xbox Series X, Switch 2, and PC in Spring 2027.

In the meantime, here are the best PS5 games you can play today.

The race to world first for the newly introduced Kefka-themed Ultimate raid in Final Fantasy 14 is officially over – but it hasn't finished without controversy.

Every time a new Ultimate raid comes out, a new race to "world first" – in other words, being the first static group in the world to clear – commences, tracked properly over on MogTalk via live streams.

There's always some semblance of drama as the big event comes to its conclusion, like the shenanigans surrounding the Futures Rewritten (Ultimate) race back in 2024… and it always involves third-party tools.

In case you missed it, last time, it all boiled down to the winning team using a plug-in called "Pixel Perfect." Put simply, it shows you where your hitbox is so that you can more easily avoid taking damage. This has happened pretty much every single race, with add-ons causing a huge ruckus. The Dancing Mad (Ultimate) with Kefka was no exception.

The team that cleared, known as "Name TBD" and hailing from Japan, is now under fire.

Basically, Name TBD didn't stream its clear. Instead, it opted to send full step-by-step videos to prove its validity. The static was then announced as the official world first winner, which is what sparked all of the current controversy.

UMAD World First Clear by DN! from r/ffxiv

A look at the game's Reddit discussion shows that folks, as usual, aren't content. "The technical first has gone ON RECORD for cheating in the past," one reads, referencing Name TBD members' old FRU clear.

Others are calling for the first group that cleared on stream, DN, to take the crown. However, not everyone is convinced that the lack of streamed evidence guarantees "cheating," as so many seem to say.

It's arguably a tactical decision. Streaming allows other statics to look at your plays and steal solutions for a quicker kill. Not streaming gives your group an advantage: you can take strats from streamers but hide your own plans.

It's… complicated, to say the least, as is always the case. Things aren't looking much better over on X, either, with one person exclaiming, "They didn't stream it, so it doesn't count, it's just that simple." Another adds, "You're just spitting on the efforts of all those teams that actually streamed!"

Elsewhere, somebody replies, "Cheater team, they don't deserve this." So, yeah. It's pretty wild in the Final Fantasy 14 community right now.

Square Enix itself hasn't shared its thoughts on the debacle so far, although it has previously chimed in on world first drama. Perhaps we'll see Yoshi-P respond in some capacity.

I dare not state my own opinion as a hardcore raider myself, but I'll just leave it at this – I wish congratulations upon everyone who managed to tackle the mad clown. It's dubbed "UMAD" by players for a good reason.

"Kefka is the ultimate troll": Final Fantasy 14's top raiders are being hoodwinked by a returning JRPG icon proving to be the most annoying Ultimate boss yet

Final Fantasy 7 Remake series producer Naoki Hamaguchi says you'll have to wait and see if Final Fantasy 7 Revelation ends up linking to Advent Children.

Speaking to RPGSite, Hamaguchi is asked about comments from Final Fantasy 7 Remake co-director Tetsuya Nomura and original Final Fantasy 7 director Yoshinori Kitase. In 2023, Nomura told The Guardian "If you play right through to the end, it will link up [to Advent Children] so you don’t need to worry about that," while Kitase told GamesRadar+, "We are finally going to link up with Advent Children, that is going to be part of canon".

However, Hamaguchi is playing a bit more coy than his fellow Final Fantasy 7 icons, telling RPGSite, "I don’t believe we’ve publicly claimed or stated it’s going to be exactly that" in reference to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy linking to Advent Children. He adds, "I’d like for players to play Revelation and see for themselves, what the conclusion of the journey holds, and see about that."

Given Nomura and Kitase's comments, I feel like it's very likely that the Advent Children link will happen, but keeping it vague and a bit of a mystery is definitely the better way to market an upcoming game. The same way that the inevitable comments about Final Fantasy 7 Revelation being a great entry point will no doubt come up as we get closer to release, despite multiple games, a film, and two remakes' worth of baggage being wrapped up within it.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's story changes based on your choices, but director Naoki Hamaguchi says the JRPG will have a "singular ending."

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation was the big closing event of the Summer Game Fest 2026 kickoff show, but director Naoki Hamaguchi didn't reveal all of the game's big secrets on stage. As it turns out, Revelation will offer a selection of "player choices" that affect how the story plays out, but the team is committed to a singular vision for the JRPG's long-awaited ending.

Those choices tie into the theme of "resolve" underlying this final chapter of the story. "As our party head into the final battle, the game is going to show the resolve that they carry within them," Hamaguchi tells GamesRadar+ via translator. "This goes without saying, but our heroes, Cloud and his companions, are beloved by a lot of fans around the world. But when we thought about that, we didn't want to just kind of deliver a singular storytelling experience for every single player around the world. We wanted each player – each fan – to have a unique experience as they head on to the final battle."

As Hamaguchi explains, "there will be some moments where players will be faced with choices – so player choices – and based on the choices that they make, these specific moments where we see each character facing the final battle – and the story moment where it shows their resolve as they head into this final battle that determines the fate of the planet – that's going to change a bit between the players based on the choices that they made throughout the game. The idea is to kind of change the approach and the depth of these story moments for these characters in this final chapter. We hope players look forward to that moment in the game."

The director knows there's going to be a lot of scrutiny on how the ending of this third game is going to go. "The concluding chapter of this remake series, how it's going to play out, is probably going to receive a lot of attention from our fans," Hamaguchi admits. "I think a lot of fans are worrying – or just being curious – about how it's going to play out in the end."

Obviously, the director isn't going to spill all the beans on that ending right now, but he was willing to confirm that "the ending of the story is going to be a singular ending," unaffected in any concrete way by the choices you make during the adventure.

"There won't be multiple endings that would change depending on the players' choices," Hamaguchi explains. "but the process of how we get there to that singular ending might be a bit different between the players based on the choices that they make throughout the game. That might mean that some players might have a different emotion as they get to the story ending, so that's kind of the difference that they might have."

You can expect more from our interview with Hamaguchi soon, but he's been giving players plenty of teases about what to expect already. Most notable? That might just be the fact that Revelation is tripling down on the minigames, including Tifa's infamous – and iconic – slap fight.

Stick with us as the Summer Game Fest schedule rolls on for more on all the new games of 2026 and beyond.

Nobody—not even Vincent voice actor Matt Mercer—mentioned just how massive Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's open world will be while on stage during the Summer Game Fest stream. But, according to a new interview with director Naoki Hamaguchi, we now have an idea of how huge it's going to be.

Not only will Final Fantasy 7 Revelation have loads of new areas we've never been to before, it will also have the entirety of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's open world in there too.

"One thing worth noting is that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation includes all of the continents from Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth," Hamaguchi told Automaton West when asked about the size of the open world.

Because of that, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's open world will be stuffed with things to do—even in areas you might've seen before. That also suggests the game might be huge when it comes to installing it on your PS5. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth was a whopping 145 GB. Are we about to play a game double the size?

At that point, Square Enix might as well throw a hard drive into the box and sell it as a bundle. I fear for the Nintendo Switch 2 players out there who already spent most of their money on Mario Kart World: They might be stuck saving up for a beefy microSD card before they can jump in.

Let's all pray that storage prices go down before spring 2027 when Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is supposed to come out. And that's to say nothing of the amount of time you'll need to play mini-games and battle monsters as you chase down Sephiroth. No wonder we have to wait another entire year before we can get our hands on it. Square Enix is about to break the record for the most Final Fantasy in one game.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation battle system has been "perfected", Square Enix claims, as it closes out its RPG trilogy

Despite some fan criticism directed at Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth's abundance of mini-games, series director Naoki Hamaguchi isn't pumping the brakes on those fun side activities for the newly-revealed Final Fantasy 7 Revelation. In fact, he's even remaking one of the original's most absurd Tifa-related mini-games.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation gave us all a good look at the trilogy's finale last night at Summer Game Fest, but we didn't see much of the mini-games that were littered all across our last adventure with Cloud. If you're a fan of those, don't worry. And if you're a mini-game hater, buckle up!

Speaking to Automaton, Hamaguchi says requests for the team to peel back mini-games is a tough one. "I have a very clear policy that I don’t want to change, no matter how much feedback we receive," he explains. "After all, the original FF7 had an enormous number of minigames. This remake series exists because of the original game, and respecting the original is one of our core policies."

Slight spoilers for the original Final Fantasy 7 and Revelation below, be warned.

Hamaguchi and the team are remaining so faithful to the 1997 JRPG, in fact, that they're even recreating one of the game's most absurd and memed moments. You know the one. Tifa and recurring villain Scarlet finally confront each other atop of the Junon canon, but instead of going all out, the ladies simply take turns slapping each other in the face.

In a separate interview, Hamaguchi tells Denfaminico the moment didn't leave a huge impression on him personally when he first started remaking the classic game, but after Rebirth had fans practically drooling for a modern confrontation between the two characters, the director felt he couldn't skip over this one.

And for anyone who really doesn't like the mini-games in Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the team's making a lot of them entirely optional. Rewards for mini-games are now, for the most part, tied to character skins and customization rather than items that'll buff your combat capabilities, as well. There's also apparently an Easy setting specifically for mini-game difficulty.

"The abundance of minigames is one of the original game's defining traits, so even in a remake, that's not something I intend to change," Hamaguchi continues. "On the other hand, I do believe it's crucial to make them more comfortable to play and to ensure players don't feel disadvantaged if they choose to skip them. We've incorporated the lessons we learned from FFVII Rebirth into this game, so I'm looking forward to seeing how players respond to it."

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation recasts Sephiroth with another Superman voice actor

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation has recast the series' iconic villain Sephiroth at the last minute, swapping one Superman voice actor with another due to scheduling problems.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and the most recent Crisis Core remaster all had Tyler Hoechlin lending his vocal chords to the big bad after having played Clark Kent, AKA Superman, in many a live-action CW show.

But as you might have noticed from last night's huge Summer Game Fest reveal trailer, Sephiroth sounds quite different as he bullies Cloud here. More menacing, growling and less dangerously excited - and that's because he's voiced by a whole different human this time around.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed the recast yesterday in an interview with Maximilian Dood, citing availability issues. "So, yes, the former voice actor that was doing the voice for Sepiroth was unable to do the voice for this one. So we do have a new voice actor," he said via a translator.

For the upcoming finale, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's Sephiroth will instead be voiced by Travis Willingham, another actor who's played Superman in a bunch of animated shows and seems to be doing a good job here, too. He also has a really extensive video game background with credits on everything from Tales of Vesperia and The World Ends With You to Halo 5 and Marvel Rivals.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set to conclude the trilogy in spring 2027 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation battle system has been "perfected", Square Enix claims, as it closes out its RPG trilogy

Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth's combat was already slick, but Square Enix is calling Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's iteration "perfected" at this year's Summer Game Fest.

Remake hit the gas on the turn-based combat that the original Final Fantasy 7 had, giving you direct control over your squad as you take on monsters and Shinra lackeys. In a clever nod to the OG system, it also let you pause combat and queue up attacks to setup powerful combos.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth pushed it forward with several small tweaks and a new ability to pair characters together to unleash devastating synergy attacks. Next year, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will add the ability to change how each character is played through a "FIT" system where different outfits determine their skills. Tifa, for example, can put on some robes and ignite enemies as a black mage.

Cid and Vincent will join the party, and both look like fun characters to build a strategy around. Vincent can transform into a violent beast and pick up Cid to let him smash enemies with his polearm out of harm's way. The addition of these two alone suggests Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's combat will get even faster than it was in Rebirth, and it might demand a little more finesse as you face off against new monsters and eventually Sephiroth.

Square Enix stopped short of going into full detail on all the changes to the combat system, but I'm sure we'll hear more as the game gets closer to release. Everything it showed was mighty impressive, speaking as someone who hasn't gotten around to Rebirth yet. I've got time to dig into it: Final Fantasy 7 Revelations won't be out until spring 2027.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation brings the JRPG remake trilogy to a close in 2027, and yes, it's "launching simultaneously on all platforms

The highlight of this year's Summer Game Fest has been unveiled, and it's none other than the long-awaited third – and final – part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy.

Square Enix has finally revealed the third part as Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, and it's coming sooner than we thought: spring of 2027. We don't quite have a precise release date just yet, though.

We do know, however, that it's "launching simultaneously on all platforms," and it looks downright stunning. Yes, that means it'll be on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 day one.

Featuring the iconic (surviving – sorry, I had to) cast from Remake and Rebirth, plus Vincent Valentine, the threequel also appears to be as action-packed and visually impressive as its predecessors. We can hear some very well-known voices, too... specifically, Critical Role star Matthew Mercer.

As for the gameplay itself, we'll get to dive down from the airship and land in new areas, exploring everywhere from the Outskirts of Midgard to Wutai – but the story seems vague still so far, which is likely intentional on Square Enix's part.

Everything looks incredible, though, from the costumes to the combat... and is that an actual job system? Why, yes, it is. We'll be able to swap Cloud's (and his companions') classes and 'fits as we please, much to my delight.

2027 can't come quickly enough, but for now, I suppose it leaves us with plenty of time to replay Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Remake... again.

Searching for something else to wishlist? Here are the best new games coming this year and beyond to look forward to.

One of the most difficult fights in Final Fantasy 14, an Ultimate raid from Shadowbringers, has just met its match in a static comprised entirely of casters and healers.

If you've ever done The Epic of Alexander (Ultimate) yourself, then you probably know how challenging it can be. I still have nightmares about the wormhole phase to this day, and it's been literal years since my group took on the revamped Heavensward bosses.

That raid – the one that took me a whopping three months or so to finally clear – is apparently easier to some of than others, though… A static has just managed to clear it with no tanks, after all.

Not only did the group clear with no tanks, however – it's a group made up of three healers (in this case, White Mages) and five casters (Black Mages, to be precise). That tank Limit Break during Perfect Alexander? Psh, they evidently don't need it.

You can watch the static tackle TEA over on YouTube, with each member juggling aggro back and forth as there's no Dark Knight, Gunbreaker, Paladin, or Warrior to take it themselves.

It's quite a moment to behold, honestly. This is a nearly 20-minute fight that groups with normal compositions struggle to do… and unsurprisingly, the community is impressed.

"I love when people just clear old content with really silly combos, and here I am, unable to even find a group to start doing it," reads one comment. Another jokes that "tank LB3 is a suggestion, not a requirement." It would seem so, anon. It would seem so.

One person jests that "the BLM parties from FFXI are coming to XIV, I see," referencing Square Enix's previous (and still active) MMO: Final Fantasy 11. My favorite response comes from a tank, though. "As a tank main, I can barely survive the tank buster, and here you are BLM take it like a champ."

I'm a healer myself, but this resonates with me so much. I hate feeling like I'm overhealing in raids, but TEA genuinely felt so tight sometimes.

I suppose that speaks to this group's skill… and I'm sure that as the new Kefka Ultimate – Dancing Mad – becomes "contemporary," we'll see more impressive clears like this.

Final Fantasy 14 legend spends 3 years soloing the MMO's Free Trial in the worst way possible, and now the finish line is in sight after suffering Shadowbringers' last big boss for 3 days straight

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy only has one game left until its grand story about climate change and fate is all wrapped up, but series director Naoki Hamaguchi has promised it won't stumble across the finish line. At least, not if he can help it.

Now that Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth are on all platforms - thanks to the recent Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S ports - all eyes have turned to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, the project's big conclusion barring any surprise expansions or spin-offs.

When speaking about the finale in an interview with Famitsu, translated by Genki, Hamaguchi vowed to release Part 3 in as solid of a condition as possible.

"We absolutely won't leave the third installment in a half-finished state," he says. "I'm determined to bring it to a point where I can proudly say, 'I've completed the 'FF7 Remake series' to the very end.' That's the determination in which we're developing it now. Please look forward to it!!"

We might not need to wait too much longer to see Cloud and Co's conclusion, either. A prominent leaker recently said Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is set to show up at tomorrow's Summer Game Fest presentation, which would make sense considering it's been two years since the last game and everyone's now had a chance to catch up on the trilogy regardless of the platform.

Hamaguchi's also been surprisingly chatty about a game that's not been formally revealed or even named. He recently stuck his tongue out and bragged about completing FF7 Remake Part 3 "over 40 times," and hinted that the original game's airship, the Highwind, will play a major role during the finale. Expect more airborne traversal than we got from the last game, then.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 brings back a big ol' nerd we all love to hate, lead confirms, who with a straight face says "many fans are fond" of

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is set to get its long-awaited reveal at tomorrow's Summer Game Fest Show, according to a prominent industry leaker, so we can finally stop calling it Final Fantasy Remake Part 3. Hopefully.

The Final Fantasy 7 Remake series' third and seemingly final game hasn't been formally unveiled yet, but that could all change tomorrow night based on comments from insider NateTheHate - who accurately leaked the new Star Fox game and the exact random day that the Nintendo Switch 2's reveal would fall on, as well as an Ocarina of Time remake that's yet to pass.

Over on Reddit, when asked about the possibility of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 rearing its head tomorrow, the insider says he expects the game to appear at Summer Game Fest. Pressed on whether that was a prediction or a hunch, he simply said, "I've heard it is at SGF."

As great as Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth were, I'm more looking forward to the finale's reveal so we can finally find out what the heck it's actually called. Reunion? Revival? Return? Relax, man? There's potentially less than a day left until we find out what direction the game's going in.

Of course, all rumors should be taken with a Hi-Potion full of salt until we finally see Cloud, his girlfriend Tifa, and maybe even Tifa's girlfriend Aerith show up somewhere. I should add that the timing would make sense now since Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth came to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S yesterday, meaning everyone's had a chance to catch up on the trilogy.

Trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi also recently said he had completed the game "over 40 times," which certainly paints a hopeful picture for its progress (and a distressing one for the man's thumbs because, boy, those games are long.)

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 brings back a big ol' nerd we all love to hate, lead confirms, who with a straight face says "many fans are fond" of

The Twitter feed of former Square Enix business director Jacob Navok is a treasure trove of arguments that I don't entirely agree with, but I find myself nodding along to his comparison of Final Fantasy and Star Wars. In essence, he says, both series have the same problem: the established fan base is getting older, and what should be the new fan base is very small.

Navok shared a report, citing Variety, which noted that Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu has not gone down well, struggling at the box office and earning some series-low ratings. For the first proper Star Wars movie in seven years, that's an especially big problem.

The report reasons that the movie isn't "finding audiences 'beyond an aging group of core fans,'" and is losing ground to fresher, more cheaply made movies like Backrooms and Obsession. Navok focuses on these points.

"If you don't think this is Square Enix's issue with the Final Fantasy IP and aging, I have a bridge to sell you," he says. "The kids are growing up with AI slop games on Roblox, in the same way that 20-somethings grew up with YouTubers. If you aren't growing up with the current generation you are dead as a franchise."

First, some details orbiting this point. In March, it was reported that 77% of US Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth players were 30 or older, with 62% over 35, reflecting the aging JRPG audience.

This closely followed comments from Final Fantasy 14 boss Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida, who suggested that younger people "haven't really had the chance to connect" with Final Fantasy in part because new games are released so far apart nowadays, making it easy to miss or forget new installments, and making it harder to get attached long-term.

A lot of older Final Fantasy games hold up pretty well and are widely available, but they generally make their money trading in nostalgia. Meanwhile, Final Fantasy 17 is nowhere to be seen, and the mainline games have to contend with increasingly intimidating numbers attached to the end, even if they are all independent stories (barring the likes of Final Fantasy 10-2).

Which is all to say: Navok has a point. This problem is not exclusive to Final Fantasy or Star Wars, either. Games, especially legacy franchises, are really fighting to reach younger players in a very mature market. It's sort of the MMO new-player problem on an industrial level: you need to keep bringing new people in or you'll eventually hit a wall following an inevitable decline in audience.

Roblox and Fortnite have found a huge young crowd (and, particularly the former, attracted enormous regulation and safety concerns), and hits like REPO have hit a similar vein. Yet the biggest IP from Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo are consistently selling to the same players, and they ain't getting any younger. I should know; I'm one of 'em.

As a counterpoint, I have heard some optimism in this space from devs – at GDC, for instance – who hope to see kids aging out of Roblox develop an interest in other games, including some that hit similar multiplayer and sandbox elements. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a rise in games like that in the coming decade, similar to the post-Minecraft era – some of them made by former Roblox kids who now want to play something that isn't hot garbage.

Crying over Final Fantasy 10 was one of the moments that inspired the creator of a PS3 classic to make games: "It's so beautiful and it's so melancholy."

Final Fantasy 14's most hardcore players have spent the last day or so grappling with patch 7.51 and its newly introduced Kefka-themed Ultimate raid – a raid that takes everything folks know about the MMO's mechanics and throws it into the wind.

In case you weren't around for Stormblood and its Sigmascape line of Savage raids (or Final Fantasy 6, from where the boss originates), Kefka terrorized Final Fantasy 14 fans with his chaotic mechanics and confusing puzzles for quite some time back in 2018 with patch 4.2.

Now, he's back for more clownin' around in the Dancing Mad Ultimate – a fight that fans are amusingly dubbing UMAD thanks to the sheer amount of trolling Kefka does.

The top raiding groups around the globe are currently competing to take down the mad mage, with Chinese static NO CCHH currently in the lead as per FFLogs – although the leaderboard is constantly changing right now as players progress through the fight.

It seems that many of them, however, hit a wall at the end of the second phase… when Kefka tricks them into thinking they've finished the entire fight with a fake chest and "Complete" cutscene.

As one clip over on X shows it as it played out live, Kefka "dies" while in his godlike form, with a small cutscene playing that reads "Complete" – not the game's usual "Duty Complete" message, notably. Then, a massive chest spawns beside the instance exit as it would upon a real completion… only to *poof* and vanish once opened.

The only option a group is left with is to leave and restart the entire fight after trying the chest.

Honestly, it's absolutely hilarious, and it seems to be what fans see should they not resolve all of Kefka's mechanics properly… which, you know, isn't exactly easy to tell, seeing as the whole raid is topsy-turvy when it comes to debuffs and whatnot. Viewers are loving it, though (myself included), judging by the chatter online.

One person comments that it's "absolute cinema," while another chimes in, 'This is the greatest fight ever!"

Others make jokes about the whole "UMAD" title given to the fight – one that, if it had followed the usual acronym standards, would actually be known as "DMU."

As one fan says, "This is why UMAD has to be the name." Agreed – "Kefka is the ultimate troll," after all. He's managing to trick the most elite Final Fantasy 14 players, spurring the greatest memes I think I've ever seen from the community during a world's first race.

My static will be taking Kefka on, too, soon, and honestly… I'm not so sure how I feel about it anymore. Nonetheless, I'll be sure to prepare my Warrior of Light with a clown nose and plenty of Swiftcast saving for quick resurrections.

Final Fantasy 14 legend spends 3 years soloing the MMO's Free Trial in the worst way possible, and now the finish line is in sight after suffering Shadowbringers' last big boss for 3 days straight

Legendary Final Fantasy 14 player RathGames, who is running the MMO solo as a challenge inspired by Old School RuneScape's iconic Ironman Mode, has now basically managed to clear all of the free pre-Endwalker trial content… entirely on his own.

Well, mostly anyway – he did need to use alternate accounts and team up with fellow solo players for some alliance raids when left with no choice. Nonetheless, that's quite a lot of content to get through on your own.

In case you didn't know, Square Enix expanded the Final Fantasy 14 free trial in April to include its 2019 expansion – and my own personal favorite – Shadowbringers. That's a whole 80 levels of quests and duties, y'all.

Rath started his journey three years ago, asking a question I'd never expect out of an MMO player: "Is it possible to SOLO Final Fantasy 14?" Thus began his mind-boggling challenge, with a video showing him demolish Ifrit all on his own following a very lengthy grind.

Since then, he's taken on many a trial and raid on his lonesome, soloing entire expansions of difficult, story-concluding content… and he's moving pretty quickly, honestly.

In mid-March, he was tackling Hades in The Dying Gasp. Now – right before the release of Patch 7.51 – he's taken down the Warrior of Light in The Seat of Sacrifice, the final main story trial to come out of post-Shadowbringers patches (the keyword here is "main," as there were other trials outside of the MSQ).

It's been a long three days of trying to emerge victorious, but he's done it, with hardly any time to spare ahead of 7.51. The seasoned Final Fantasy 14 veteran announces his win in an online post, simply writing, "It's finally over."

The post comes after his last stream, in which we can watch his victory as it happened live yesterday. "It is done," he says, emerging from The Seat of Sacrifice to a gathering of supportive players using the cheer emote and whatnot – a wholesome scene for sure. This marks the end of the hardest content in the expansion, thankfully.

He's only got some dungeons ahead of him now, and judging by what he's achieved so far, I doubt they'll be much of a problem at all. In other words, Rath has effectively proven that the Free Trial content (I'm just going to count those dungeons, because let's be real here) is doable solo, Ironman Mode and all.

No market board, no help, no anything – and I will not be counting the characters that he had to control himself to bypass Limit Break walls.

They're still him, after all – and as someone who lives in the game's hardcore content myself, I couldn't imagine doing any of what he's spent over a thousand hours now accomplishing. I look forward to seeing what he does when Evercold releases in January 2027.

New Final Fantasy 14 patch finally lets players devour a taco, and all I need you to know is that means a lot to the MMO's community.

Final Fantasy 14 fans, the moment has arrived – Patch 7.51 is here, and with it, we've got a brand-new Kefka-themed Ultimate raid… and a, um, taco-eating emote?

That's right. While we wait for Evercold to arrive in January 2027, our Warriors of Light can enjoy some fresh, hot tacos in-game, much like G'raha Tia did in the ever-iconic Dawntrail trailer back in 2024.

As per the official patch notes from Square Enix, 7.51 brings some new emotes to the MMO – and one of those involves your WoL happily eating a taco, because how else would one eat a taco? It's brilliant, honestly.

In case you're out of the loop on the connection between Final Fantasy 14 and tacos, there's the iconic G'raha Tia moment to look to, and also the amusing misheard lyrics from Ultima.

Ultima is a song you'll know very well if you're a Main Scenario roulette frequenter, or someone who spent far too long farming the Ruby, Emerald, and Diamond Weapon trials – one that sounds as though its singers are chanting "BIG FAT TACOS" over and over again.

7.51 Patch Notes | FINAL FANTASY XIV, The Lodestone from r/ffxiv

Heck, folks have even mashed the two moments together, with G'raha Tia eating his taco to the tune. It's unsurprising, then, that Patch 7.51 and its addition of the taco-eating emote stand out… even amid all of the, you know, arguably more significant changes to come with the update.

Just have a peek over at Reddit, where a post on the patch sees various comments roll in regarding the emote. The top response is literally "taco time."

One fan jokes, "/devourtaco autotranslate is gonna be in so many people's search info" – and, yeah, I think they're right. People are also noting that the emote loops, which means endless taco monching. Sign me up.

Plus, it'll pair nicely with my Warrior of Light's tea-drinking and whatnot. As another commenter puts it, "Ooo taco emote. I have a whole lunch set now in my emotes." What more could a food-loving Au'ra ask for?

It's not the only silly feature to come out of Patch 7.51 that has the community excited, either – just look at the new shovel accessory… and this is why I love Final Fantasy 14.

Final Fantasy 14 fans celebrate a huge win: finally, we can kick Lalafells in the face and send them flying into the void

As the Final Fantasy 14 community prepares for patch 7.51 tomorrow and, of course, the new expansion Evercold arriving in January, Square Enix is updating the Mog Station with emotes – including one that has folks roleplaying all sorts of cartoonish violence.

The Mog Station, home to the MMO's paid online store (in which I have spent far too much money), recently saw the arrival of two new emotes: Blown Away and Overreact. Although both are admittedly silly – and perfect for those of us obsessed with gpose – the former is making for some very humorous RP moments and clips on social media.
What do these show, you may be wondering… and the answer is lots of Lalafell violence.

"Lala, run over and killed," one post so eloquently describes its attached footage. In it, we see Lalafells slapped to the ground dramatically thanks to the Blown Away emote, and, perhaps more literally, blown away by another Lalafell's chonky landing. "What a shockwave," the player behind the clips jokes.

There's more, too. Another fan jokes, "The potential of the new emote is insane," highlighting just how in their own video. We watch an Au'ra casually kick a little Lalafell down to the ground, with 0 regrets in sight.

Elsewhere, a separate thread shows more Lala-on-Lala action, with one popoto-shaped Warrior of Light slapping another silly. Both feature the Blown Away emote as the receiving party's movement of choice, which acts as the cherry on top of the amusing (and violent) cake.

Lalafells aren't the only characters being Blown Away, though.

A different compilation of clips proves as much, with its creator – a Miqo'te – being run over by mounts, fanned off into the wind, and zipped away by parasols… all thanks to the Blown Away emote.

In the best way possible, this is all too reminiscent of the recent obsession with Chort – we can always count on the Final Fantasy 14 community to eat up the most chaotic, hilarious parts of the MMO… and I'm so here for it, personally.

Running Final Fantasy 14 for 16 years means Square Enix knows live service, former exec says, but it's "used to being slow" and has "failed to bring its IP to a new generation

Jenova Chen - the designer of indie classics such as Flower and Journey - was partly inspired to begin making games in the first place after shedding a few tears over Final Fantasy 10, and who can blame him with a love story that tragic?

Final Fantasy is a series stuffed with emotional moments and scenes that feel like someone's squeezing onion juice over your eyes, but Final Fantasy 10 still features one of the strongest tearjerker endings in the entire franchise (and in all of gaming, according to Japanese gamers.) Tears generated by the game are so powerful, in fact, that they inadvertently led to the creation of a stone cold PS3 classic.

"If you look at the history of many of the movie makers, like Peter Jackson, why does he want to make films? His dad took him to watch King Kong when he was really young, and when he saw this giant ape climbing the Empire State Building, that was a really shocking experience," Chen explains in an interview with Edge Magazine. "Many artists decide to become artists because they were really shocked to their core when they saw something emotionally impactful."

For the founder and CEO of thatgamecompany, weeping at games isn't an unfamiliar experience, but one memory that sticks out to Chen happened while going through Tidus and Yuna's fight against a repeating, apocalyptic threat. "One day I woke up and I went to wash my face, and I thought about a character in that story, and I suddenly started to cry. I was thinking about what happened to that person. He made a sacrifice for the group. I was just moved by the act – it's so beautiful and it's so melancholy that I was crying."

"At film school, we say, with a mediocre film, when the film is over, everybody leaves the theatre talking to each other, smiling," he goes on. "When you have a really impactful film, everybody leaving the theatre is quiet. Their mind is totally blown away. That was me... And that's why I think a great piece of art usually gives me a new perspective on life, and it changes how I live my life. That's what made me realise I probably wanted to become an artist."

Running Final Fantasy 14 for 16 years means Square Enix knows live service, former exec says, but it's "used to being slow" and has "failed to bring its IP to a new generation"

Like Nintendo with its upcoming Star Fox 64 remake, Square Enix is demonstrating its commitment to 1997 through its delectable Final Fantasy 7 remake trilogy… and that isn't ideal, according to former Square Enix director of business development and current Genvid CEO Jacob Navok. The company will never appeal to fresh, young Genshin Impact players that way.

"What is it going to take to get my kid to care about the brand?" Navok wonders in a new Twitter post discussing Square Enix's failure to capitalize on its Final Fantasy 14 live-service expertise and build an online empire that the little kids with iPad fingers will love. "If we solve that problem we can open up the rest of the opportunity."

"I landed on Disney, Roblox and other partnerships," Navok decides. "You have to be where the young people are. Imagine a Kpop Demon Hunters x Final Fantasy Collab, and how that would draw headlines and interest into the brand." He names Fortnite's Kpop Demon Hunters collaboration mode "Demon Rush" as an example of the "simple tweaks to gameplay, art, and sound" Square Enix could make to entice new fans.

"Yoshida would have been great at pulling this off," the exec muses about Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida, who resigned from Square Enix's board of directors in 2025, though he serves as a member of the executive management committee. Considering Yoshida's eagerness to make even tonally dissonant collaborations with Diablo 4 or One Piece work – and the fact that a Fall Guys crossover with Final Fantasy 14 is something that happened in real life – I think Navok is right.

But, as is the case with Nintendo, Square Enix's current issue in recruiting new diehards isn't a matter of capability – because of course the Final Fantasy giant is capable of making a satisfying online game loop, that's the point of Final Fantasy 14. Instead, Square Enix has a problem with desire.

Navok says, "I think Square Enix is so used to being slow that it can't imagine what life would be like if it acted fast. There's a lot of internal red tape; the CEO's job is to make a decision and cut that red tape so that innovation flourishes." Former Nintendo marketing leads Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang made a similar observation about the Mario maker earlier this week, saying they were sad to see a "truly creative company" decide to bury "that part of themselves away because they were too scared to take the risk."

As a pre-existing Square Enix fan (who is aging and doesn't play Fortnite), I nonetheless see its focus on old IP as a creative disappointment, and also a financial risk. To this last point, Navok calls the developer's 2026 financial results "embarrassing" compared to Capcom and Konami in a recent Twitter thread, adding that Dragon Quest producer Ryutaro Ichimura was right when he said last year that Square Enix was overly focused on "safe" games. Ichimura left the company in 2023.

So we're not getting that Dragon Quest crossover with Bluey, then.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 brings back a big ol' nerd we all love to hate, lead confirms, who with a straight face says "many fans are fond" of.

We don't know an awful lot about Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3. Square Enix is yet to show off what it looks like, confirm when it'll be out, or even tell us its official name. What we do know, though, is that Chadley is back, baby.

You know, that nerdy little dweeb everyone loves to bully? Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy lead Naoki Hamaguchi puts it a little more politely in a new interview with Restart, as he says that "we understand that many fans are fond of Chadley." Not sure if "fond" is the word I'd use, but anyway.

While Hamaguchi can't comment on "whether he's become a playable character" for the third and final part of the JRPG's revival – as Restart previously suggested to the director that he should – it's made clear that we can definitely expect more of Chadley, for better or worse.

"Chadley will continue to play an important role even in the final installment of the trilogy," Hamaguchi says. "His strong curiosity and tendency to talk a bit too much – inherent traits that he's aware of and somewhat self-conscious about – will be further explored in the third game, too."

Considering that, again, a recurring response to Chadley's existence is straight-up bullying, it's amusing that Hamaguchi says he'd be happy to see fans "warmly follow how Chadley becomes involved in the story and what role he takes in supporting it." Let's hope "warmly" also encompasses making fun of him at any given opportunity – I'm sure folks will be doing that. Enough with the VR headset, dude.

As for what impact he'll have on the story, only time will tell. After all, he didn't even figure in the original Final Fantasy 7, so we don't have anything to go on in that regard. Hamaguchi previously acknowledged some of the more off-the-wall theories about him, though, including that "some people think that he's actually evil and will turn out to be the last boss in the final title." At the time, he said: "We were cracking up about that." Who knows, perhaps we'll see some sort of joking response to that in the game itself?

Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 could get DLC, director says, but Rebirth missed out due to concerns it would "affect the third game's schedule and overall quality."

The original Final Fantasy MMO – none other than Final Fantasy 11 – continues to go from strength to strength, and not even director and producer Yoji Fujito expected to be here.

Over the past year or so, Final Fantasy 11 has had to stop accepting new players to some of its most popular worlds because the servers clearly aren't currently built to handle that level of popularity. A nice problem to have, though not one the developers expected.

Speaking to Famitsu, Fujito reckons the surge in popularity is due to a Final Fantasy 14 crossover, free prize events, and a welcome-back campaign. I'd also float that Final Fantasy 14's less-than-popular Danwalker run might have sent a few grumpy Warriors of Light their way, but I digress.

Still, despite the surge in popularity, Fujito expected it all to calm down eventually. Expect it hasn't.

“Overall, the player count remained stable at a high level, and we never saw the kind of sharp decline we had anticipated, so honestly, the outcome exceeded our expectations and came as a surprise,” Fujito says, as translated by Automaton.

It's all rather nice, isn't it? As we previously reported, Square Enix considered winding down Final Fantasy 11 in 2024, but it's still drawing enough players to convince the powers that be to keep the good times rollin' on.

As for the future, Fujito says Final Fantasy 11 will live on. Major developments like a new world or story expansion, though, will prove tricky. There are technical limitations to overcome, and the team remains short-staffed.

Still, there's a desire on the team to overcome all of that, so Fujito would like you to think of the current moment as a preparatory phase where "we’re continuing to lay the groundwork for that sort of future development."

Final Fantasy 14 Evercold is the MMO's next big expansion, and it's coming early next year.

A former Square Enix executive has weighed in on the discourse surrounding Final Fantasy creator Hironobu Sakaguchi spotlighting a Final Fantasy 6 remake concept created through the use of AI.

Reacting to one of the many stories covering the situation so far, former Square Enix business director Jacob Navok comes down on the side of the JRPG veteran being free to explore AI, if that's what he wants to do.

"People telling a legendary creator about how creators should feel shows how far down the rabbit hole the madness goes," he says, "and how little rationale there is to it."

Naturally, the topic of artificial intelligence remains polarizing, even among past and present Square Enix staff. When Sakaguchi initially shared the Final Fantasy 6 mock-up that kicked this off, Akitoshi Kawazu – who helped design the first few Final Fantasy games before going on to direct the SaGa series – immediately jumped in to tell Sakaguchi to take it easy.

Of course, it is worth noting that it isn't clear if Sakaguchi knew what he was sharing was created by AI, and his response to the backlash somewhat backs that up, as he says he only did so instinctively. That, and the tech probably wouldn't be able to pull off a Final Fantasy 6 remake right now, though maybe in the future.

What this episode does tell us, though, is that many creators and fans remain unsold on AI. The news comes at a time when Square Enix is actively looking to AI to help with quality assurance and debugging, seemingly at the expense of staff.

Before that particular story broke, I had the opportunity to speak to Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi about his own stance on AI. For Hamaguchi, "however much" the technology might "try and intrude and take part in the creative side of things," he backed his team to do it better.

That stance roughly sums up the broader industry's approach at the moment. The idea of AI taking away the tedium so creators can create is consistently pushed to sell people on the technology, and while that might appeal to some of those making games, plenty of other people remain guarded about how much we give over to the controversial technology.

Baldur's Gate 3 director u-turns on the use of AI art in Divinity: "We've decided to refrain from using genAI tools during concept art development."