Final Fantasy VII Director Explains Why Revelation Has Not Moved to Unreal Engine 5
Key Takeaways
- Final Fantasy VII Revelation will release in Spring 2027 simultaneously across PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.
- Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed the game uses Unreal Engine 4 to accelerate development and avoid workflow resets.
- The team built a custom rendering system comparable to UE5’s Nanite to maintain cutting-edge visual quality without switching engines.
Why is Final Fantasy VII Revelation Using Unreal Engine 4?
Final Fantasy VII Revelation uses Unreal Engine 4 to ensure a faster release schedule. This avoids the massive development delays that would result from transitioning to Unreal Engine 5.
By maintaining the same customized workflow established in Remake and Rebirth, the team can deliver the finale by Spring 2027. Director Naoki Hamaguchi explained in a recent interview with 4Gamer that switching engines would have required rebuilding their established architecture from scratch.
From both a business and player perspective, avoiding a prolonged development cycle was the primary goal. To compensate for bypassing Unreal Engine 5, Square Enix integrated proprietary technology into their UE4 framework.
Hamaguchi noted that the development team created a custom rendering system that functions almost identically to UE5’s Nanite. This ensures visual fidelity remains highly competitive.
I spoke about why we chose Unreal Engine 4 over 5.⁰Technology is a means, not the goal. In an environment where our team can perform at its highest level, we will deliver FFVII Revelation as the best possible experience, as quickly as possible.
— 浜口直樹 /FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION, Spring 2027 (@nhamaguc) June 20, 2026
-… https://t.co/drkVeQc5VS
The Highwind, Skydiving, and Open-World Exploration
The transition from Rebirth to Revelation brings a significant expansion to the open-world formula. Players will gain access to the Highwind airship roughly five to six hours into the campaign. This completely opens up the world map and introduces verticality to the exploration mechanics.
Traversing the planet will include seamless skydiving from the Highwind. To prevent this mechanic from becoming tedious, the development team implemented extensive fast-travel options. Players can skip the return trip to the airship and fast-travel directly into previously visited locations.
Inside the Highwind, players will find a functional hub. The airship acts as a portal where the crew gathers. It also comes complete with a Chocobo stable that updates based on the player’s rescue efforts across the world map.
Also learn more about the official announcement of Final Fantasy VII Revelation!
Rebalancing Minigames and Expanding Core Combat
Addressing player feedback regarding the sheer volume of minigames in Rebirth, Square Enix has restructured the reward system for Revelation. Combat upgrades and progression materials are now strictly tied to battle-oriented content.
Minigames will still feature heavily, including a highly anticipated sequence between Tifa and Scarlet. However, the rewards for these optional activities are now cosmetic items like weapon and character skins. A new skip function will also allow players to bypass minigames after one attempt if they only want to collect the associated rewards.
The combat system itself is receiving a major overhaul to accommodate massive encounters. Weapon battles will not be relegated to isolated minigames or set pieces. Instead, they are fully integrated into the core RPG combat system using specialized mechanics.
Furthermore, the new “wear system” separates character classes from visual aesthetics. Players can equip specific job roles for tactical advantages while retaining their preferred character skins. This ensures that optimal combat stats do not force unwanted visual changes.
A Simultaneous Multi-Platform Launch for the Finale
For the first time in the remake trilogy, Square Enix is planning a simultaneous multi-platform release. Final Fantasy VII Revelation is scheduled to launch in Spring 2027 across PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
This unified launch strategy represents a major shift from the timed exclusivity windows seen with Remake and Rebirth.
The commitment to a 2027 release date and a uniform platform rollout underscores Square Enix’s intent. It delivers a definitive conclusion to a project that has spanned over a decade of continuous development.
A video game enthusiast ever since I first got my hands on a Game Boy. Over the years, I've played many different games across various genres, discovering hidden gems and niche titles along the way. I'm also passionate about technology, always up-to-date with the latest news and insight in the PC and Console market. Ready to share and bring you the latest news !
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