After nearly a year, Square Enix remembers Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth exists
Release date soon to be nailed down.
Square Enix has issued a small update on Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth - the upcoming second chapter of its FF7 Remake trilogy. It's the first we've heard about the game officially since its name reveal last year.
In a statement issued via Twitter today, Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase confirmed development is progressing smoothly and a firm release date is now being considered. So that's nice.
Square Enix has Rebirth listed for a "winter 2023" release. Up next from the publisher is the all-new Final Fantasy 16, which is released later this month.
Asked how development on the game is progressing, Kitase replied: "Development is progressing smoothly and according to plan. We are currently working on nailing down a release date for the game."
It's unclear when we'll find out more information about the game or its release date, but it's likely we'll need to wait until after the release of Final Fantasy 16 later this month.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth will be the follow up to Remake, and the second of three planned parts.
Its name was announced at the Final Fantasy 7 25th anniversary celebration. The third part remains unnamed, but expect it to begin with an R.
In an interview earlier this year, Kitase commented on the nature of game remakes and why changes need to be made.
"We approached the FF7 Remake project with the aim to make it something that could be enjoyed by both fans of the original game and people who did not know it," he said.
"I have also had experiences where a game that I loved and had a lot of fun with in the past was remade, and I bought it and played it out of the overwhelming nostalgia. It is enjoyable for a while, but the fun from that nostalgia only really lasts through the first sections. I realised this halfway through and didn't carry on playing.
"Because of this, I decided that Final Fantasy 7 Remake would not just appeal to nostalgia, but would include a new story as well to feel both nostalgic and fresh at the same time."