Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Director Assures Part 3 Is On Track After a Decade of Development

When can we expect the third installment of Final Fantasy VII Remake? That’s the burning question for fans eagerly awaiting Square Enix’s official reveal of the trilogy’s conclusion. Director Naoki Hamaguchi hasn’t given a specific timeline for the announcement, but he recently shared some encouraging updates about the project’s development and his reflections on the decade-long journey to bring it to fruition.

“I can’t provide specific details right now,” he mentioned in a recent interview. “What I can confirm is that development is progressing on schedule. We believe this will be a title we can confidently deliver as the finale of the trilogy. We know fans are excited, and preparations for the announcement are moving forward. Please hang in there a little longer.”

I’m still holding out hope for a trailer reveal during the Summer Game Fest in June, followed by a release date in early 2027. Given that this is the final chapter in Square Enix’s flagship franchise, it wouldn’t surprise me if they take the extra time to ensure everything is perfect. Hamaguchi also touched on this, emphasizing that the aim of the third game is not just to conclude the story but to create a more ambitious RPG experience.

“This series isn’t about simply rehashing gameplay because it’s a remake,” he stated. “I see this as a project where we’ve challenged ourselves to ask, ‘How much further can we expand the experience?’ with each new entry. For the third installment, we’re not just focused on tying up loose ends; we’re looking at how to fully realize the grand vision we’ve been aiming for as a complete experience.”

It’s been over a decade since the first announcement of Final Fantasy VII Remake. Hamaguchi pointed out that it’s rare for a developer to spend so long on the same franchise, especially a multi-part project. What began in the early PS4 era will conclude just as the PS6 is likely on the horizon. “Even after dedicating over a decade of my career to this project, I feel nothing but gratitude for the opportunity to work on something truly deserving of this level of time and commitment,” he said.

That gratitude extends to the original 1997 PS1 game’s narrative, which Hamaguchi has refined but not drastically altered. “I trust Kazushige Nojima’s writing and have no intention of changing it based on my own judgment,” he explained. Most deviations in Final Fantasy VII Remake and Rebirth were made to ensure plausibility despite the enhanced visuals or to lay the emotional groundwork for the more developed character arcs.

“That process involved revisiting scenes repeatedly, and honestly, it was one of the most sensitive aspects of development,” Hamaguchi shared. I was curious about Nojima’s thoughts on this and found an old interview he gave for the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania book. Back then, he mentioned he would be busy with rewrites.

“I was definitely younger back then,” he reflected. “Looking at the dialogue, I’m not sure I conveyed everything to the player, so I keep wanting to go back and add a lot more text, shamefully enough. *laughing* The whole game is filled with enthusiasm and has a lot of silly parts too.”