Square Enix confirmed during the Tokyo Fan Festival keynote that the Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold expansion is delayed to launch on February 23, 2027, arriving four weeks later than the originally targeted January window while introducing the crossbow-wielding Zephyr job and a shift to version 8.0 mechanics.
Tokyo Fan Festival Keynote Sets February 23 Release Date
The wait for the next chapter of Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold just got a little longer. During the keynote presentation at the Tokyo Fan Festival, Square Enix confirmed that the game’s sixth expansion will officially debut on February 23, 2027. Early access for players who preorder the expansion is scheduled to begin a few days earlier on February 19.
The announcement adjusts the schedule away from the initial window announced back in April during the North American Fan Fest in Anaheim, which pointed toward a January 2027 release. According to reporting from Fullcleared, the adjustment represents roughly a four-week delay from that earlier projection, though preorders remain on track to open on November 4.
Zephyr Joins Bastion as the Expansion’s Second New Job
Months of fan speculation regarding the identity of Evercold’s second combat role came to an end when Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the physical ranged DPS role is named Zephyr. Wielding a crossbow, the job fights alongside an avian familiar known as a Nephele, which works in tandem with its master to unleash powerful coordinated attacks and provide party support.
Like Bastion, Zephyr will not be available in Reborn Mode.
Realmships of the Fourth and New Raid Crossovers
Set within the Fourth—one of 13 reflections of the original Source world—the expansion introduces floating realmships known as the Fimm Himnar, or Five Firmaments.
Tokyo attendees received deep dives into Sessrymnir, the Realmship of Earth, and Skidbladnir, the Realmship of Wind, joining Naglfar (Water) and Hringhorni (Fire) above the frozen wastes.
Beyond the main scenario, the keynote outlined major collaborations and structural updates arriving with version 8.0:
- An eight-player crossover raid series with Final Fantasy VII Remake titled Beyond the Lifestream: Fated Collision, featuring a new Fierce difficulty level.
- A crossover alliance raid series with Neon Genesis Evangelion titled Ghosts of Desire.
- Gameplay updates including an auto content balancing feature that scales duties and field enemies to the party, and a transition to a weekly-based system as opposed to daily.
Square Enix Announces Collector Bundles and Platform Availability
Alongside digital preorders opening on November 4, Square Enix announced a physical Collector’s Bundle containing an Evercold Special Art Box, Expertly Crafted Reaper Figure, Ethos Metal Keychain, Köttr Mini Plush, and Tapestry of the Fourth. The accompanying digital Collector’s Edition packs in the Crystal Skyltborg bastion weapon, Valhallar Odin mount, and Entreat Crystal emote.
The expansion arrives as the MMORPG maintains active cross-platform availability across PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, PC via Steam, and the Nintendo Switch 2 version. While the Switch 2 release does not require a Nintendo Switch Online membership, players must maintain a dedicated subscription, which is offered at a 50% discount for active subscribers on other platforms.