There is a great deal of uncertainty surrounding the third and final instalment of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Since the February 2024 release of the second instalment, FFVII: Rebirth, many have speculated on how Naoki Hamaguchi and Tetsuya Nomura will bring their grand project to a close, having updated, modernised (and perhaps evolved?) one of the most recognisable and beloved titles in the history of video games. All eyes were on this year in any case as a preview to prepare us for a possible release in 2027, which will mark the 30th anniversary of the original game's launch, and now it seems we have a reliable source that would confirm this idea.
The ResetEra forum (deleted, but copy and pasted on Reddit) has shared a post by a user who claims to have knowledge of the final title of FFVII Remake Part 3, its announcement (due this summer), and its release date, supposedly scheduled for February 2027. The source does not reveal their origin, attributing the leak to "contacts on the Square Enix marketing team and at Summer Game Fest, where the announcement would (presumably) also be made this summer."
Let's go through the key points one by one. The main one is the title: Final Fantasy VII: Return. A fitting title, which seems to align with the current narrative of the remake trilogy, alluding to a restoration of the order now disrupted by Sephiroth. The release is set for February 2027. Rebirth was released on 24 February, and the original Final Fantasy VII was released in Japan on 31 January 1997, so the dates couldn't be more fitting to lend a festive air to this release, which sounds like a farewell.
Part 3, or 'Return', is said to feature three new playable characters, although some have appeared previously. We're talking about Vincent, Cid, and a new character, previously unseen in the original story. There is also talk of a new combat system, called "Active Turn Action", and the largest game map in the entire series, more than double the size of Rebirth. We imagine this is to make the most of the journeys on Cid's Highwind. Likewise, it seems the story will take on even greater importance in this instalment, and the leaker hints at more than double the number of cutscenes compared to Rebirth.
Of course, all of this must be taken with a pinch of salt at the moment, although it aligns with much of what Hamaguchi has been hinting at over the years of Part 3's development. In any case, the reveal at the Summer Game Fest is exactly one month away, so we'll be keeping an eye out to see if we can confirm all this in a few weeks' time.
Do you like the title Final Fantasy VII: Return? What do you think of the new gameplay features and the addition of a new character in this final instalment?