Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's Official Release Window Is Perfect

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is slated for a Spring 2027 release date, officially marking the end of the ambitious remake project. Of course, there could be some spin-offs or DLC for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, but for the most part, the game will bookend Square Enix’s expensive, impressive FF7 remake saga, which kicked off back in 2020 with the first entry, aptly titled Final Fantasy 7 Remake.

Through the soon-to-be-concluded trilogy, Square Enix has managed to introduce the Final Fantasy 7 world and narrative to an entirely new audience, while also appealing to fans of the original PS1 classic. Released in 1997, Final Fantasy 7‘s cultural impact can be likened to releases such as Metal Gear Solid and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, in the sense that it redefined what was possible in the gaming medium, setting a new standard for narrative heft, presentation, and ingenuity. It’s funny looking back on the original game now, nearly 30 years later, since it’s obviously dated by modern standards, with pre-rendered backgrounds and simplistic character models, but such perceived shortcomings tend to melt away when you’re actually in the game, hands on sticks. All of this is to say that the original FF7 is a landmark title in its own right, and deserves to be celebrated when it turns 30 next year.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is Making a Huge Change to the Combat System

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation confirms that a major change to the game’s battle system is one that longtime Final Fantasy fans may enjoy.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Will Launch in the Midst of FF7’s 30th Anniversary

Final Fantasy 7 release date (Japan): January 31, 1997
Final Fantasy 7 release date (North America): September 7, 1997
Final Fantasy 7 release date (PAL): November 17, 1997

Square Enix hasn’t officially revealed the specific release date for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, only confirming that it’s targeting a Spring 2027 launch window. Even so, this relatively broad window seems especially fitting, as it would put the game right between the various launch dates of the 1997 game. The original Final Fantasy 7 first launched at the end of January 1997, but only in Japan; its North American version wasn’t released until September of that year, and the PAL (territories outside Japan and NA, like Oceania and Europe) version came shortly after, in November.

At the risk of sounding reductive, we can say that Final Fantasy 7‘s Japanese launch was right in the middle of the Winter season, whereas its global launch averages to a mid-Fall date. Obviously, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation can’t cover both of these release windows, so splitting the difference with a Spring 2027 launch makes a lot of sense. In this way, FF7 Revelation‘s release date will further cement the entire year of 2027 as a celebration of FF7, rather than just a specific date, month, or season. This interpretation aligns with Square Enix’s official FF7 Revelation press release, which notes that 2027 is the “30th anniversary year of the landmark original game.”

It’s hard to know if Square Enix originally planned to conclude the Final Fantasy 7 remake project during the 30th anniversary of the original game, but it’s definitely an appropriate outcome. Few games have had such an immense and indelible impact on the gaming landscape as Final Fantasy 7, and while not everyone loves the remakes, it’s clear that they’re a celebration of the original rather than replacements. Put another way, the FF7 remakes are made with love and reverence for their 1997 progenitor, so drawing the remake saga to a close during such a momentous “birthday” could not be more perfect.

Narrowing Down Final Fantasy 7 Revelation’s Release Window

If you’re like me, you’re probably champing at the bit for more info about Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, including its specific release date. As a quick refresher, the Spring release period is generally defined by the following dates:

Spring 2027 start: March 20
Spring 2027 end: June 21

With 2027 still fairly far away (we will have already moved past heavy hitters like Marvel’s Wolverine and Grand Theft Auto 6 by then), not a lot of 2027 games have received hard release dates. The biggest games of early 2027 appear to be Stranger Than Heaven, releasing on January 21, and Fable, which launches on February 23. Persona 4 Revival, a game that will likely have a good bit of crossover with Final Fantasy 7 Revelation‘s player base, is also launching in the second half of February.

Other hotly anticipated games targeting a Spring 2027 release window include the Mass Effect inheritors Exodus and The Expanse: Osiris Reborn, as well as Resonance: A Plague Tale Legacy, and Spyro: A Realm Beyond, which will all presumably be spread throughout the Spring window in order to give themselves as much breathing room as possible. Still, it’s hard to argue that any of these Spring 2027 releases are as hotly anticipated as FF7 Revelation—they will probably try to get out of Revelation‘s way, rather than the other way around.

It’s hard to know if Square Enix originally planned to conclude the Final Fantasy 7 remake project during the 30th anniversary of the original game, but it’s definitely an appropriate outcome.

Mid-to late-March 2027 will probably mark the first onslaught of Spring 2027 games, as this is when much of the excitement from Fable and Persona 4 Revival will have died down. The question is whether Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will capitalize on this immediately, or let other Spring/Q2 releases go ahead of it. These types of insider decisions can be tough to track, but Revelation‘s release window will become easier to guess once we know the launch dates of its biggest competitors.

A close-up image of Cloud Strife in a fiery environment in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation

Also worth pointing out are the release dates of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy Rebirth, which launched on April 10, 2020 and February 29, 2024, respectively. Perhaps Revelation will mirror the April launch of Remake, especially since the Leap Day release of Rebirth was a special circumstance, perhaps even related to the series’ newfound focus on alternate realities and dimensions. An April release date for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation would also put the game right in the middle of the Spring launch period, rather than the beginning or end, which could better help it retain significance throughout the 30th anniversary annum.