It’s safe to say that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is one of the most-anticipated RPGs of the current console generation. After Final Fantasy VII Remake delighted fans and reviewers alike back in 2020, it was only a matter of time until Square Enix announced a sequel. After all, FF7 Remake covered only the first act of the original Final Fantasy VII, meaning there’s still plenty more of the story to revisit.
On June 16, 2022, Square Enix hosted a Final Fantasy VII livestream, and FF7 Rebirth took center stage. At present, we don’t have a ton of information about the game. However, we do have a release window, a trailer and a platform, and that’s considerably more than we had on June 15. Here’s everything we know about Final Fantasy VII Rebirth so far, and how you can prepare in the interim.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Release window
At the end of the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth trailer, Square Enix advertises that the game will be available “next winter.” This is a pretty specific release window, although it still encompasses a three-month period.
At the risk of being pedantic, “next winter” probably refers to the period between December 2023 and March 2024. (I could be wrong, but I feel that Square Enix would have said “this winter” if the company intended to launch the game in the 2022/2023 season.)
Granted, Square Enix could still delay the game before then; Final Fantasy games are no strangers to delays. But at the very least, we wouldn’t expect it before December 2023.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Trailer
Square Enix introduced us to Final Fantasy VII Rebirth with the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth First Look Trailer. You can watch it for yourself below:
If you’ve played the original Final Fantasy VII, the trailer should provide a lot of familiar faces. It begins with Aerith narrating about how the past is set in stone, but the future can be changed — which is especially interesting, considering that FF7 Remake has already started playing around with the timeline. It also shows off Cloud’s complicated past with Sephiroth, as well as a glimpse of fan-favorite side character Zack Fair.
The trailer is only about a minute long, but it suggests that FF7 Rebirth might solve some of our longstanding questions surrounding the remake.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Platform
At present, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is slated for the PS5. Square Enix hasn’t mentioned any other platforms. “PS5” shows up prominently at the end of the trailer, and a Square Enix press release mentioned that the game will come out for Sony’s latest console.
There’s no word about a PS4 release, which might make sense, seeing as Sony is phasing out PS4 games. It’s a little odder that Square Enix hasn’t mentioned a PC release, however, since Final Fantasy VII Remake has been a big hit on the PC as well. Perhaps Square Enix will do another staggered release, with the PS5 version first and the PC version following afterward.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: Story
If you haven’t played Final Fantasy VII Remake, you’ll probably want to do so before Final Fantasy VII Rebirth comes out. Based on the trailer, FF7 Rebirth will pick up right where Remake left off, as the party sets out from the cyberpunk city of Midgar to explore the wide world beyond.
Without rehashing the complete story of FF7 Remake, it concerns a mercenary named Cloud Strife and his party of freedom-fighting misfits: Barret Wallace, Tifa Lockhart and Aerith Gainsborough. They set out to strike a blow against Shinra, an evil corporation that’s literally draining the planet’s life force dry. But along the way, they discover that Cloud’s old nemesis, a swordsman named Sephiroth, wants revenge on Shinra for his own purposes — and those purposes might threaten all life on the planet.
It almost goes without saying that you should play FF7R if you intend to play FF7 Rebirth. However, you may also want to check out the original Final Fantasy VII, which you can play on pretty much any modern platform. Without spoiling anything, a late-game FF7R plot point suggests that the original FF7 and the Remake may coexist in some larger framework — and if that’s the case, then the story of FF7 Rebirth could diverge wildly from what we know.
Tom’s Guide will provide more info on FF7 Rebirth as it becomes available. Until then, you can check out our 10 essential Final Fantasy 7 Remake tips.
