With players hungry to unravel the mysteries of Cloud and crew’s current timeline, Square Enix has officially revealed the release date for their next entry in their ambitious attempt to build upon the lore of the original game, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
This information was first unveiled by the developer on September 14th via a brand new trailer for the upcoming sequel.
Released as part of that day’s Sony State of Play livestream event, the trailer provides players with a bevy of new information regarding their return to Midgard, including their first look at just which events Rebirth would retread from the original PS1 game.
Featuring various walks down memory lane such as Cloud’s attempt to blend in among Shinra’s Junon-based military forces by taking part in a local uniformed parade march, the group’s trip to the Golden Saucer, and Cloud’s distorted recollection of his and Sephiroth’s visit to the Nibelheim Mako reactors, the trailer also drops hints at some of the changes made to Rebirth‘s timeline as a result of Aerith, Red XIII, and the Whisper of Fate’s manipulations.
Perhaps the most notable among these hints is the confirmation that Rebirth will in fact pick-up on the ‘Zack is alive now’ plot point introduced at the end of Final Fantasy VII Remake, as evidenced by a brief scene in which the SOLDIER can be seen handing a wounded Cloud off to the care of original ‘Remake timeline’ character Kyrie Canaan.
Further, the trailer also confirms that Rebirth will not only see Yuffie make her proper series debut following her introductory side-story outing in the Final Fantasy VII Intergrade DLC, but also Vincent Valentine , the series’ resident red-cloaked vampire gunslinger.
As the teaser draws to a close, Sephiroth can be heard taunting his eternal rival, “It’s upon us. The reunion. When world’s merge. I’m waiting, Cloud,” a seeming reference to the ‘multiple worlds’ theory regarding the current timeline’s existence.
With the One-Winged Angel’s words lingering in the minds of viewers, Square Enix ultimately concludes their preview by revealing that the game will debut worldwide as a PlayStation 5 exclusive on February 29th, 2024.
However, this initial exclusivity window does not mean the game will remain locked to Sony’s current gen console, as one of the final images presented in the trailer notes that game will “not [be] available on other formats at least until May 29th, 2024”.
While it’s currently unknown what Square Enix’s plans for the game are come that date, given their recent history, it’s safe to assume that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will eventually be receiving a PC port.
Alongside the game’s release date, Square Enix also unveiled the five different editions of Rebirth – three physical, two digital – that players can order.
In terms of physical releases, Rebirth‘s most base offering will be its Standard Edition, retailing for $69.99 and which includes the actual game itself, a reversible cover, and “the preorder incentive of the digital Midgar Bangle Mk. II armor at participating retailers”.
For fans seeking to indulge in their love of the series, Rebirth will also receive in both a $99.99 Deluxe release, which features all of the above items as well as a “mini-soundtrack CD, artbook and steelbook case”, and a massive Collector’s Edition.
Retailing for $349.99 and only available in limited quantities from the official Square Enix store, this edition will give players “[a] large, highly detailed collectible statue of Sephiroth, Deluxe Edition contents, along with digital DLC items including Summoning Materia DLC, allowing players to summon the Moogle Trio, and the Magic Pot, along with equipment, like the Reclaimant Choker accessory and the Orchid Bracelet armor.”
As for Rebirth‘s digital options, players can choose from either the $69.99 Standard Edition of the game, which will allow them early access to the Moogle Trio Summoning Materia DLC, or the $89.99 Deluxe Edition, which includes “[a] digital Mini-soundtrack, digital artbook, and digital DLC items including the Magic Pot Summoning Materia, Reclaimant Choker accessory and the Orchid Bracelet armor.”
Not only that, but for players interested in catching up with the series ahead of the second entry’s release, Square Enix is also offering two digital ‘Twin Packs’, the first offering both immediate access to Remake and a pre-order to Rebirth for the bundled price of $99.99 and the second throwing in the aforementioned Intergrade DLC for just $20 more.
