A vague release window of winter 2023 was provided for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, the follow-up to developer Square Enix's Final Fantasy 7 Remake, back in June. However, information about the project has been pretty scarce since. This year is set to be a big one for Final Fantasy fans between Rebirth and the planned June launch of Final Fantasy 16, the first mainline entry in the series since 2016's Final Fantasy 15. While this is exciting, it does mean Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth news will likely take a backseat for the first half of the year as the hype for FF16 continues to build.
As arguably one of the best JRPG franchises of all time, each new Final Fantasy carries a huge weight of expectations. By and large, the games tend to be fresh and diverse enough to meet, or sometimes surpass these expectations. When the Final Fantasy 7 Remake project was announced, many were skeptical about whether any such project could possibly live up to the original, which is considered the finest of the Final Fantasy games - and possibly one of the greatest video games of all time. To Square Enix's credit, the developer managed to pull it off, recreating the first part of Cloud Strife's epic journey in stunning fashion. Now it has to stick the landing with the second part of its remake trilogy.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth News is Unlikely to Hit Soon
The positive reception to Final Fantasy 7 Remake only served to heighten expectations for the next two installments of this planned trilogy. With Remake only covering events in Midgar, much of FF7's wider narrative remains to be told. New story elements added to Remake have piqued curiosity further, as events in Rebirth and its successor are no longer guaranteed to play out as they did in the original 1997 game. This next chapter will be even more crucial to Cloud and Sephiroth's story as a result, and key details such as whether the game will remain semi-linear, or move to an open-world format after Midgar, remain unknown at the time of this writing.
Square Enix's history of marketing upcoming games is hit-and-miss, and right now all of its focus will undoubtedly be on Final Fantasy 16, which is just three months away. That means it's unlikely that fans will receive Rebirth updates until after that point, so those expecting to see the game at events such as E3 and Summer Game Fest - both of which take place prior to FF16's launch - could be disappointed.
Once FF16 releases, the veteran Japanese developer has ample opportunity to shift its spotlight to Rebirth. Square Enix has already released multiple projects this year, with Octopath Traveler 2 and Theatrhythym Bar Line receiving praise from critics and fans. With so much about Rebirth not yet known, and so many directions it could go from a narrative perspective, it's easy to see how 2023 could be one of Square Enix's best years to date.
For now, all attention is likely to be on Final Fantasy 16 which, after seven years, represents the biggest gap between mainline entries in the series' 36-year history. The game looks to be making a bold move toward a more action-orientated style in a traditional high-fantasy setting, and fans of Final Fantasy 7 will be hoping the launch goes smoothly so that attention can turn toward more Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth news.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth is set to release for PS5 in winter 2023.
