Square Enix is winding down several live-service and mobile titles, including Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis and Final Fantasy XIV Mobile, while pushing forward with new console releases, expansions, and collaborations across its major franchises.
Square Enix's recent output shows a company in transition, closing legacy live-service experiments while doubling down on its core console franchises. The shutdown of Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis in October 2026 and the cancellation of Final Fantasy XIV Mobile's global version, alongside the termination of the Tencent license, mark a retreat from the mobile gacha space. The producer's letter for Ever Crisis cited the difficulty of maintaining quality worthy of the Final Fantasy VII name, a rare public acknowledgment of the strain of live-service demands.
On the console side, Square Enix is actively expanding its presence on the Nintendo Switch 2, releasing Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Octopath Traveler and its sequel, and Star Ocean: The Second Story R on the new hardware. The Final Fantasy XIV Switch 2 version launched on August 4 with a free month, and the upcoming expansion Silver Wanderer, set for January 2027, introduces the new tank job Bastion and a crossover raid with Final Fantasy VII Remake. The company is also reviving dormant properties: Final Fantasy Resonance, an HD-2D adaptation of the defunct Brave Exvius, launches in October, and the president hinted at a possible Foamstars revival if fan demand is strong.
Square Enix is also consolidating its publishing operations. The EXTREME EDGES label, which brought Western games to Japan for 16 years, closed in July, with the company stating overseas titles are now widely accepted. Meanwhile, the manga division continues to expand, with new licenses and artbook releases, and collaborations with Google's Gemini and Drecom's Wizardry Variants Daphne show a willingness to partner across industries.
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Manta, the global content platform, announced worldwide distribution deals with KADOKAWA, Square Enix, and Square Enix's Manga UP! platform. More than 300 titles are being added, including The Apothecary Diaries, Proud to be the Villainess, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, and Tokyo Ravens. The company launched its manga category in April with Kodansha titles.
The Dragon Quest 40th anniversary exhibition Dragon Quest the DIVE will run in Osaka from January 26 to March 14, 2027, at Grand Front Osaka's North Building Knowledge Capital Event Lab. Tohokushinsha and Square Enix announced the dates on September 7. The Tokyo run, held July 17 to September 6 at Tokyu Plaza Harajuku's Harakado, drew more than 90,000 visitors and sold out all tickets. The main attraction is the Dragon Quest VR RIDE, an immersive ride using Meta Quest 3 headsets and motion seats. Riders cross plains on a killer panther, dodge monsters in a forest, and fly through the sky with wind effects. After the ride, visitors move through zones including a castle, field, town, and item shop. A special ticket includes a framed three-pin badge set of Roto's Sword, the Sky Sword, and the Hero's Sword Kai, with the 40th anniversary logo. Ticket sales begin September 8 at 10:00 through the Square Enix app, followed by a Lawson Ticket advance sale October 6 and general sale October 21. A collab cafe with a menu different from Tokyo's will also run, open only to ticket holders.
Naoki Hamaguchi, director of the Final Fantasy VII remake trilogy, told a PAX West 2026 panel that the project is an attempt to pass FF7 to the next generation rather than a simple remake. He said the goal is a work that keeps producing new fans 20 to 30 years from now. The panel also covered the graphics direction and new mysteries added to the story. The finale, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, launches April 8, 2027.
Square Enix announced Fullmetal Alchemist merchandise featuring dot art by Kazuko Shibuya, creator of dot characters for games including the Final Fantasy series. Items go on sale October 1 at TSUTAYA IP bookstores and October 14 at the Fullmetal Alchemist x Yomi no Tsugai Exhibition Hokkaido venue, with early release at Tokyo Game Show 2026.
Square Enix set FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION for April 8, 2027, on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC. The RPG was previously slated for spring 2027. Official materials released alongside the date include screenshots of Cloud, Sephiroth, and Tifa, plus field shots showing the scale of the world. Trilogy art covering Remake, Rebirth, and Revelation was also published. Pricing starts at 9,900 yen.
Square Enix released Dragon Quest Weapons Collection Vol. 1 on the Square Enix e-Store on September 4. The figure set reproduces Dragon Quest series weapons at 1/12 scale and includes six types: Sword of Roto, Shield of Roto, Club, Edged Boomerang, Dragon Killer, and Mirror Shield. Each purchase contains one randomly selected type, and a box set of six units is also available.
Square Enix announced during Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play broadcast on September 3 that Final Fantasy VII Revelation will launch on April 8, 2027. The presentation included a trailer focused on each character's resolve, set in a world the sources describe as unseen and never before shown. Alongside the release date, Square Enix released a separate gameplay video titled Gameplay Battle & Exploration, which introduces an airship that lets players traverse a vast open world and parachute down to points of interest. The third installment in the Final Fantasy VII remake series is scheduled for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. The same broadcast also revealed a trilogy pack containing Revelation, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, with preorders opening on September 3. The series began with Remake in 2020, followed by Rebirth in 2024, and Revelation concludes the three-part retelling of the 1997 original.
Square Enix will implement patch 7.56 "The Road to the Horizon Part 2" for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail on September 8. The update concludes the main story leading into The Silver Wanderer, introduces the new limited job Beastmaster, and adds the Beastmaster-exclusive battle content Toujuuren.
Square Enix presented ATOGiS, its proprietary 3D generation AI, at CEDEC2026. The system combines an image-to-3D geometry AI with a retopology AI, both trained on roughly 60,000 in-house weapon and background assets to avoid licensing problems. AI & Engine Development Division member Taketo Araki led the session, covering dataset selection, a staged retopology learning method, and three pre-tests run before large-scale training on eight H100 GPUs.
Diesel Japan revealed the full scope of its FFXIV collaboration on September 1. The capsule collection covers T-shirts, hoodies, denim, jewelry, and iPhone cases priced from 11,100 to 132,000 yen. Sales start September 16 at a pop-up in Isetan Shinjuku, then October 2 at the Diesel online store and DIESEL SHIBUYA. A 30-set Scions of the Dawn Complete Box goes to lottery September 9 to 13. Kosuke Kawamura's art exhibition runs October 2 to November 8.
Square Enix released the final chapter of 'Before Crisis -Final Fantasy VII-' for 'Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis' on August 27. The game is scheduled to end service on October 7, leaving about one month to experience the 2004 feature phone RPG, which had no other way to be played since 2018.
Creator sooncha announced on Friday that they have withdrawn the copyright for Yang Can't Live Alone from Square Enix. The manga ended on Manga UP! on August 13. sooncha will move the series to an unnamed company, with a new revised edition to be published in Japan physically and digitally. Square Enix will stop digital distribution on August 31. Translated versions remain available until their agreements end.
Square Enix's Manga UP! Global service adds Akina's The Viscount's Porky Portrait: I Married the Knight My Sister Rejected manga on Friday. The adaptation of Mogura Manami's light novels follows Mimosa, a noblewoman who accepts her sister's rejected engagement and finds a kind husband. Akina launched the manga on Gangan Online in August 2023.
The final chapter of Miki Morinaga's Ruby on the Cake: Feast of the Man-Eating Witches manga ran in the ninth issue of Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine on Tuesday. Retailers list the fourth volume, shipping October 23, as the final one. Square Enix's Manga UP! Global service publishes the series in English.
Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine announced that Etorouji Shiono's Übel Blatt II: Knights of the Fallen King manga will end in its next chapter. The manga takes a break next month and concludes in the magazine's 11th issue on October 23. The sequel launched in February 2024, and Yen Press releases it in English.
Square Enix released a new batch of screenshots for Final Fantasy VII Revelation alongside the second trailer, "Guardian of the Star," shown at gamescom Opening Night Live 2026. The images depict the planet's guardian Weapon, the summon Typhon, and a chocobo named Pico. The game is the third and final installment in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, set for a simultaneous worldwide release on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC in spring 2027. Players will board the airship Highwind to freely traverse the planet, parachuting to locations such as Midgar's outskirts, Mideel, and Wutai. The battle system, blending real-time action with command selection, has evolved, and Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind join as new playable characters. A new system called "Wear" and new abilities expand playstyles. Separately, the overseas Microsoft Store page for the game lists a provisional ESRB rating of "Likely Mature 17+," which has sparked fan speculation about possible adult content, though the rating remains under review and previous entries in the remake series were rated Teen.
Square Enix announced two new Final Fantasy VII Rebirth collectibles on August 25, both scheduled for release on November 28. The first is the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Static Arts Tifa Lockhart - Swimsuit Ver.-, a 29,700 yen statue depicting Tifa in a light purple frilled swimsuit with a flower ornament in her hair. The figure measures approximately W123mm x D122mm x H260mm and uses clear materials for the base to evoke a waterfront with splashing waves. The second product is the Final Fantasy VII Rebirth PLAY ARTS Kai Sephiroth, an action figure priced at 31,900 yen, featuring Sephiroth as a Soldier 1st Class. This PLAY ARTS Kai iteration introduces newly designed hip and joint parts that replace click-based articulation with click-free movement for smoother motion, plus movable eyes for a wider range of expressions. Accessories include a detachable single wing, Sephiroth's Masamune blade, an interchangeable hair piece, a smiling face plate, and various hands. Reservations are open at the Square Enix e-STORE and AmiAmi, where the Tifa statue is listed at a discounted 26,730 yen. Character design is credited to Tetsuya Nomura and Roberto Ferrari.
Square Enix showed new footage for Final Fantasy VII Revelation during the gamescom Opening Night Live 2026 livestream on August 25, 2026. The trailer is the latest look at the third and final game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy, and it gives the first in-game look at three of the series' iconic super-bosses: Ruby Weapon, Emerald Weapon, and Ultima Weapon. The footage also includes new cutscenes featuring Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind, who join as playable characters. The game is scheduled for release in spring 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, and Microsoft Store on Windows. The trailer also shows aerial combat aboard the airship Highwind, which players can use to travel freely across the planet and parachute into locations such as Midgar, Mideel, and Wutai. Director Naoki Hamaguchi previously said the game's theme is "resolve," as Cloud and his companions head toward their final battle against Sephiroth.
Clear River Games announced a remaster of the 1995 Super Famicom action RPG Terranigma during the Pixel Arcadia showcase on August 25, 2026. The game, developed by Quintet and originally published by Enix, will launch in early 2027 for PC (Steam and GOG.com), PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo Switch 2. PLAION will handle publishing for the domestic packaged version. The remaster is licensed by Square Enix, with key members of the original development team participating. Character designer Kamui Fujiwara returns as an advisor, providing new key visuals and in-game designs, while composers Miyoko Kobayashi and Masanori Hikichi contribute new arrangements of some tracks. The game will also include convenience features suited to modern playstyles. Terranigma follows a boy named Ark as he restores life to a desolate surface world, tracing Earth's history from the birth of life to modern civilization. The original game never received an official North American release, and fans have long called it a hidden gem. A 2021 Change.org petition sought archival distribution, with Fujiwara and Kobayashi among its supporters. The remaster will be exhibited at gamescom 2026, which starts August 26 in Cologne, Germany.
At Google Cloud Next Tokyo 26, Square Enix programmer Takatomo Sakuma detailed the Gemini implementation behind Chatty Slime, the AI adventure companion in Dragon Quest X Online. The feature uses a multi-agent system with the Gemini Live API, a security layer, and Google Cloud's Agent Runtime and Agent Development Kit. A closed beta ran from April to May 2026, with full release planned for the latter half of version 8.
Square Enix will release Kingdom Hearts Collection [I-III] on October 8, 2026, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The collection bundles three packages: Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 Remix, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind, together containing seven games, three HD video works, and the Re Mind downloadable content. The price is 11,000 yen. The physical version is available for PS5 and Switch 2 and requires an internet connection to download additional data. Each title is also sold separately as a digital version, with prices of 5,280 yen for HD 1.5+2.5 Remix and III + Re Mind, and 4,180 yen for HD 2.8. The HD 1.5+2.5 Remix is also compatible with the original Nintendo Switch. To promote the release, Square Enix published six YouTube Shorts introducing Disney and Pixar worlds such as Toy Box, Timeless River, Wonderland, Deep Space, Monstropolis, and The Caribbean. Purchase bonuses include exclusive weapons for Kingdom Hearts III: Long Night on Switch 2, Midnight Blue on PS5, and Phantom Green on Xbox and Windows. Pre-orders include 48-hour early access.
Disney and Square Enix announced at D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event 2026 that Kingdom Hearts IV will release in the latter half of 2027. The game is planned for PC (Steam, Epic Games Store, Microsoft Store on Windows), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2. The announcement ends a long silence that had stretched since the game was first revealed in April 2022. Director Tetsuya Nomura has stated there will be no delays and the game will arrive in 2027. The new entry begins the Lost Master arc, following the conclusion of the Dark Seeker saga in Kingdom Hearts III. The story opens with protagonist Sora waking up in Quadratum, a world similar to but different from modern-day Tokyo, while Donald and Goofy search the underworld for clues about him. In response to the concrete release window, players have been returning to older entries on Steam. Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind have all set new concurrent player records. The series is also on sale at 70 percent off until August 21, with the three-game bundle priced at 5,148 yen including tax.
Takara Tomy will release the board game Dragon Quest Life Game on October 24 for 7,150 yen. Preorders are open on Amazon. Players become adventurers, gather gold with companions, and the one with the most gold at the end wins. The game includes familiar monsters, job changes, and small medals.
Square Enix released new Kingdom Hearts IV screenshots showing Riku, Mickey, Donald, Goofy, and Sora, along with the Remember Me world. The company also published the full Japanese dubbed version of the D23 2026 trailer, which includes a segment where players control Mickey and a battle scene with Donald and Goofy. The game is slated for release in late 2027.
Disney announced at D23 on August 15 that Kingdom Hearts is being adapted into an original anime series, titled Kingdom Hearts The Series, for Disney Channel and Disney+. The project is a co-production between Disney Kids & Family and Square Enix, with franchise creator Tetsuya Nomura and the Square Enix creative team involved. The series will feature a completely new story, not a direct adaptation of any game narrative, and will expand the Kingdom Hearts universe while bringing back established characters. The announcement did not reveal the animation studio, voice cast, or release date. A teaser visual shows a mysterious boy holding a Keyblade in a design that evokes Japanese animation. Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said the series will be "unmistakably Kingdom Hearts" while allowing fans to experience the worlds they love in a new way. The announcement follows a previous attempt at a Kingdom Hearts animated series in the early 2000s, which was shelved. The game franchise has shipped over 39 million units worldwide since its 2002 debut.
Square Enix e-STORE began accepting reservations on August 13 for two new Final Fantasy XIV food items: Fat Chocobo Curry, a mild retort curry priced at 1,080 yen, and Gummies Energy Drink GG, canned gummies shaped like Giant Beavers with an energy drink flavor, priced at 1,900 yen. Both ship October 16, 2026.
Square Enix announced the official PvP tournament Crystal Conflict Region Championship 2026 Japan Powered by Logicool G will hold its qualifying rounds on August 22, 23, 29, and 30, with all matches streamed live on YouTube. Sixteen teams that advanced through preliminary blocks will compete, with winners moving to the finals at Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo in October for a 3 million yen prize.
Square Enix will release a sightseeing guidebook for Final Fantasy XIV on October 16, 2026, priced at 1,980 yen including tax. Titled 'Final Fantasy XIV Eorzea Sightseeing Guide: La Noscea / The Black Shroud / Thanalan / Mor Dhona,' the book covers the game's setting of Eorzea across four regions. It introduces basic knowledge for sightseeing in each area, such as the sea, forest, and desert, along with recommended activities and local cuisine. The guide also includes themed tour proposals, including ruins, ghost tours, and scenic spot tours. A special feature titled 'Play to Your Heart's Content! The Complete Gold Saucer Guide' is included. Reservations are now being accepted at the Square Enix e-STORE. The book is part of a broader release of Final Fantasy XIV merchandise on the same date, including five apparel items from the Lit Bāff Apt. brand, such as kung-fu track jackets inspired by Doman mahjong and a Sugar Riot sweatshirt.
Yoko Umezu, the manga artist behind Vermeil in Gold, died on July 7 due to an ischemic stroke, according to an announcement from the editors of Square Enix's Monthly Shonen Gangan magazine on Wednesday. The editors stated that a private funeral was held, attended only by close relatives. The magazine also announced that Vermeil in Gold, which Umezu illustrated and Kouta Amana wrote, has ended with the chapter that ran in the June 12 issue. The editorial staff said they will announce details regarding the publication of the series' uncollected chapters at a later date. Amana and Umezu launched the manga in Monthly Shonen Gangan in August 2018. Square Enix published the manga's 11th compiled book volume on June 11. The manga's television anime adaptation premiered in July 2022, directed by Takashi Naoya at Staple Entertainment, with scripts by Tatsuya Takahashi and character design by Kiyoshi Tateishi. HIDIVE streamed the anime as it aired in Japan, and also streamed an English dub. Umezu also drew the Minidura spinoff manga of Ryohgo Narita's Durarara!! light novel series, which ran in Kadokawa's Dengeki Maoh magazine from 2013 to 2015.
Square Enix reported first-quarter results for the fiscal year ending March 2027, with net sales up 32.3% to 78.4 billion yen and operating income up 88.6% to 17 billion yen. HD game sales nearly doubled to 17.7 billion yen, and total game software units rose from 4.01 million to 7.38 million, with downloads accounting for about 90%.
Square Enix Holdings reported its consolidated results for the first quarter of fiscal year ending March 2027 on August 10, 2026, covering April 1 to June 30. The company recorded net sales of 78.423 billion yen, up 32.3 percent year on year, operating income of 17.008 billion yen, up 88.6 percent, and ordinary income of 18.766 billion yen, up 172.4 percent. This marks the first quarter with year-on-year revenue and profit growth since the third quarter of fiscal year ending March 2022, roughly four and a half years ago. The Digital Entertainment segment drove the gains, with sales up 51.8 percent to 49.96 billion yen and operating income up 91.8 percent to 15.583 billion yen. Within that segment, HD games saw sales rise by 8.8 billion yen to 17.7 billion yen and operating income increase by 5.1 billion yen to 6.1 billion yen. The company attributed the performance to new titles such as Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and Microsoft Store, and Adventure Elliot's Millennial Story, along with strong catalog sales. MMO revenue and profit also grew, though profit rose only slightly by about 30 million yen due to costs for the upcoming expansion 8.0, Silver Wanderer, set for early 2027. Smart device and PC browser segments also improved, supported by Dissidia Duellum Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest Smash Glow. Full-year forecasts remained unchanged.
Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIV for Nintendo Switch 2 on August 4. The launch includes three package tiers and a free trial covering most of four expansions. GAME Watch took the game to Tottori Sand Dunes to test it in a real desert setting, covering setup, account linking, and cloud-based UI transfer.
Wizardry Variants Daphne will start a collaboration with Final Fantasy XI on July 30, its first with another company's IP. Drecom's Keisuke Kanayama and Square Enix's Yoji Fujito discussed the collaboration's origins in an interview, with a full article planned soon.
Square Enix released patch ver.0.9.5 for KILLER INN, its early access deception multiplayer game on Steam, on August 7. The update adds the Revival respawn function, which lets defeated players become ghosts and interfere with the match by sending hints to allies or causing confusion. After a set time in ghost form, a player can revive once while retaining XP and gold. The patch also introduces two new characters: the Psychometrist, who can track the killer by investigating corpses, and the Journalist, who can display all items and player locations on the map. Both are investigation-focused, adding new layers to the game's suspicion-driven play. KILLER INN is an asymmetric online multiplayer game supporting up to 24 players, set in a mysterious old castle where a small wolf team hunts a larger sheep team. It lacks discussion or voting elements, instead relying on fast-paced, skill-based PvP combat with firearms, melee weapons, armor, and traps. Sheep players can also win by collecting keys to escape on a ship. The patch also includes balance and UI adjustments. A 75% discount sale runs until August 21, dropping the price to 300 yen including tax.
Mash Style Lab released the second wave of the Dragon Quest x Gelato Pique loungewear collaboration on August 7. The collection features newly drawn original art of Slime, Watahou, Baby Satan, and other monsters across knit, cut and sewn, and goods items, sold at stores and online.
Nobuo Uematsu's three-night talk event on the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack used Square Enix-provided para data to explain the music track by track. He said the PS's 24-voice polyphony was split between music and sound effects, so he asked the sound effects team for 16 channels for music. He also discussed why BGM was not streamed from CD-ROM.
Square Enix will release Dragon Quest Monster Shogi Lets catch monsters! on December 18 for 2,420 yen. The mini shogi set uses a 3x4 board with eight monster pieces, each marked with slime symbols showing legal moves. It includes a carrying bag and targets players aged four and up.
gelato pique released a teaser video on X for its SPECIAL COLLECTION collaboration with Square Enix's Dragon Quest. The video shows two slimes and reads "7.28 tue 12:00 Coming soon..." New products inspired by the RPG are expected. The brands collaborated in 2025 on loungewear and nap cushions.
Square Enix announced at FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin that Mahiro Maeda will join the collaboration alliance raid Ghost of Desire, planned for Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail. Maeda, an animator affiliated with Khara, will handle numerous designs for the Neon Genesis Evangelion crossover.
DESTINY 8, the official band for Square Enix's SaGa series, will hold its first one-man live, DESTINY 8 THE FIRST LIVE, on September 21 at Shibuya WWW X in Tokyo. The band is led by composer Kenji Ito and includes five other musicians. Tickets with an autograph session cost 12,000 yen, general admission 8,200 yen, plus a 600 yen drink fee.
Square Enix's Monthly Big Gangan magazine announced on July 24 that Ryuto's The Faceless Mercenary Wants to Settle Down light novel series is getting a manga adaptation, drawn by Daichi Matsuse, launching in the magazine's next issue on August 25. Seven Seas Entertainment will publish the first novel volume digitally on October 27.
Square Enix began service for the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy XIV on August 4, 2026, starting around 7:00 PM JST. To stabilize servers, the service usage fee is free for approximately one month from launch. After that, the 30-day free period included with the product begins, followed by standard service fees. Players who already play on other platforms must pay a separate service fee for the Switch 2 version, but if they have remaining playable days on another platform, the fee is half price. The game can be played without a Nintendo Switch Online subscription, but a Nintendo account and a Square Enix account are required. A free trial version is also available on the Nintendo Store, letting players experience content up to level 80, covering A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers. Character data from the trial carries over to the full version. To celebrate the launch, the Complete Pack is 30% off until August 12 at 23:59, dropping from 6,380 yen to 4,466 yen. The Collector's Edition is also discounted to 10,472 yen from 14,960 yen.
Square Enix held the FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin on July 25 and 26, where the keynote speech delivered a wave of new information for the MMORPG. The new tank job Bastion was unveiled, a main tank that fights with a weapon called Magakou, which combines a shield, melee weapon, and ranged weapon on both arms. Bastion will be implemented in the latest expansion Hakkin no Wanderer, scheduled for release in January 2027. The keynote also announced a new 8-person raid collaboration with the FINAL FANTASY VII REMAKE series, titled BEYOND THE LIFESTREAM, with scenario by Motomu Toriyama, supervision by Kazushige Nojima, and design supervision by Tetsuya Nomura. The Nintendo Switch 2 version of FFXIV will release on August 4, with free service for about one month after release. Other details included a new battle difficulty between Normal and Savage, a rebuilt buddy chocobo system, and the Character Action Skins system. The Evangelion collaboration alliance raid Ghosts of Desire will feature Mahiro Maeda as a special guest artist and designer.
The manga Yang Can't Live Alone is ending its serialization on Square Enix's Manga UP! service, following a public breakdown in trust between creator sooncha and the publisher. sooncha announced the decision on X on Monday, August 3, stating that the series will conclude with the third part of Chapter 15 on August 13. The creator cited a "breakdown in the relationship of trust" with Manga UP! as the reason for the cancellation. sooncha is currently in talks with the editorial department to have the copyright reverted so the story can continue elsewhere. The third compiled volume remains scheduled for release on August 6, and sooncha noted that publication could not be halted in either print or digital format. The creator advised readers uncomfortable with the situation to cancel their pre-orders. Manga UP! issued its own statement on August 4, acknowledging shortcomings in how the assigned editor handled serialization and promotional work, and admitting that attempts to rebuild trust, including changing the editor, were unsuccessful. The publisher apologized to readers and the creator. The series launched on Manga UP! in December 2024, and the second volume shipped on November 7.
Drecom opened the collaboration event between its 3D dungeon RPG Wizardry Variants Daphne and Square Enix's MMORPG Final Fantasy XI on July 30, 2026. The event, titled "Castle of the Deep Dark Fantasy," runs until September 10 at 12:59. It adds a collaboration-exclusive dungeon and story where a suspicious castle appears in Northern Hollow, the lord's sons go missing, and players must track the ghost castle to bring them back. Three Final Fantasy XI characters join as new adventurers: Prishe, the Cursed Child of Tavnazia, voiced by Aya Hirano; Iroha, the Singer of the Star's Song, voiced by Inori Minase; and Zeid, the Black Iron Whirlwind, voiced by Shin-ichiro Kamio. Players can obtain one of six recruitment items during the event, choosing among these three collaboration adventurers or three legendary adventurers: Red Beard, the Rebel Against God; Arboris, King of the Sea of Trees; and Avenius, the Flash. The collaboration also introduces Relic Weapons, special equipment obtainable with Gil and upgradeable through reforging, plus a Trade Broker in Northern Hollow Village for trading reforge materials. Special supplies and limited-time missions offer additional scrolls and Gil. A dedicated website includes a Collaboration Rank Test quiz and a promotional video.
Square Enix has opened pre-orders for a new line of mascot plush toys called Pocket Peoplets, featuring characters from Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and Final Fantasy X. The lineup includes 11 characters total: Cloud, Aerith, Tifa, and Sephiroth from FF7R, and Tidus, Yuna, Wakka, Lulu, Kimahri, Auron, and Rikku from FF10. Each Pocket Peoplet is described as compact enough to fit in a pocket, with a soft, fluffy texture and large eyes designed for attaching to bags or displaying at home or in an office. Each mascot is priced at 2,090 yen (tax included). The release date is set for November 14, 2026. Pre-orders are available now through the Square Enix e-STORE, the company's official online shop. The product pages for each character are live on the store.
Drecom announced on July 24, 2026, that the 3D dungeon RPG "Wizardry Variants Daphne" (iOS, Android, PC) will begin a collaboration event with Square Enix's MMORPG "Final Fantasy XI" on July 30. The collaboration includes an item distribution within Final Fantasy XI: the equipment item "Mask of the Abyss," based on the player character "Masked Adventurer" from Wizardry Variants Daphne, will be given away during a distribution period scheduled for August. Further details of the event are to be announced in subsequent reports. To mark the collaboration, 4Gamer.net published a special conversation between Wizardry creator Robert Woodhead and former Square Enix developer Hiromichi Tanaka, who worked on the first three Final Fantasy titles. In the discussion, Tanaka noted that the ninja job in the original Final Fantasy was directly influenced by Wizardry, and that the medieval fantasy world brought to computers by Wizardry became a driving force for his work. Woodhead and Tanaka also reflected on the early days of computer game development, including packaging innovations and the experimental nature of titles like Wizardry IV.
Square Enix announced during the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin on July 25 that the Nintendo Switch 2 version of the MMORPG will launch on August 4, 2026. Pre-orders began on the same day via the My Nintendo Store. As a stabilization period, service fees will be waived for approximately one month after launch. A free trial is also scheduled to begin at the same time. Existing players on other platforms will receive a 50% discount on service fees for the Switch 2 version. A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is not required to play. Various packages are available, including a Complete Pack at 30% off (4,466 yen) until August 12. The announcement was part of a broader keynote that also revealed details for the upcoming expansion Final Fantasy XIV: Silver Wanderer, scheduled for January 2027, including a new setting, two new jobs (with the tank role Bastion confirmed), and an eight-player raid series crossing over with Final Fantasy VII Remake.
Square Enix held the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Berlin on July 25, unveiling a wave of new details for the upcoming expansion pack Silver Wanderer, scheduled for release in January 2027. The keynote, led by producer and director Naoki Yoshida, introduced the new tank job Bastion, which wields a weapon called Magic Armor that functions as both a shield and a cannon, capable of switching between melee and ranged attacks. Bastion is an ancient martial art inherited by the royal family ruling Elsrend Island and starts at level 90, with its job quest beginning in Limsa Lominsa. The expansion is set in the Fourth World, an ice-bound realm where humanity lives on five giant airships called Continent Ships. Walkthrough videos showcased two of these ships: the Water Continent Ship Naglfar and the Fire Continent Ship Flinghorni. A new main quest system allows players to tackle branching areas in any order, with a Balance Adjust system automatically scaling monster levels in dungeons and FATEs to accommodate level differences. The main quest Part 2 arrives as Patch 7.56 on September 8, leading into the expansion. Post-launch, Patch 8.0 will introduce customizable teleport and job action animations, with further customization and expanded race-specific options like nose darkness for Lalafell and Viera and horn changes for Au Ra arriving in Patch 8.1.
Square Enix released the download version of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster for Nintendo Switch2 on July 23, featuring a Game Boost Function that lets players adjust game speed, character enhancement, and encounter rates. The package version follows on August 27 with a limited 25th anniversary sleeve.