Square Enix unveils Final Fantasy VII Revelation and surprise launches Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion for Switch 2 during Nintendo Direct

Square Enix dominated the latest Nintendo Direct livestream on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, by delivering two major updates for the iconic Final Fantasy VII franchise. The presentation featured a high-octane trailer for the highly anticipated trilogy finale, Final Fantasy VII Revelation, and a surprise announcement that Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion has officially arrived on the Nintendo Switch 2. This move signifies a continued push by Square Enix to bring its premium catalog to the burgeoning Switch 2 hardware ecosystem, further expanding the accessibility of the series to a wider demographic of players.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation: The Trilogy Finale

The centerpiece of the presentation was the reveal of new footage from Final Fantasy VII Revelation. Serving as the third and final installment of the ambitious Final Fantasy VII Remake project, the trailer provided a visceral look at the stakes of the concluding chapter. Notably, the footage prominently featured Sephiroth, reigniting fan speculation regarding the narrative direction of the finale and how the developers plan to adapt the climactic moments of the original 1997 title.

Square Enix confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Revelation is scheduled for a worldwide release on April 8, 2027. The game is slated for a multi-platform rollout, targeting the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, the Xbox PC platform, the Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store. By maintaining a simultaneous multi-platform release strategy, Square Enix appears to be moving away from the timed-exclusive models that characterized the early years of the Remake project, aiming instead to capture maximum market penetration on launch day.

Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion Hits Switch 2

While the trailer for Revelation provided a look at the future, the surprise release of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion for the Nintendo Switch 2 addressed the present. Available immediately following the conclusion of the Nintendo Direct, the title marks another significant port for the newer console.

However, Square Enix has clarified that there is no upgrade path for current owners of the original Nintendo Switch version of Crisis Core. Furthermore, the company noted that save data from the previous Switch version will not transfer to the Switch 2 edition. This technical limitation requires returning players to start their journey from the beginning, a point of note for completionists and fans of the prequel story, which explores the origin of Cloud Strife and the tragic history of Zack Fair.

A Chronology of the Final Fantasy VII Remake Project

The journey of the Final Fantasy VII project has been defined by a complex release schedule that spans several hardware generations and over half a decade of development. To understand the significance of this week’s announcements, it is essential to look back at the project’s trajectory:

• April 2020: Final Fantasy VII Remake launches on the PlayStation 4 following a short delay.
• April 2021: The exclusivity period for the Remake on PlayStation consoles expires.
• June 2021: Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launches on the PlayStation 5, introducing expanded content and graphical enhancements.
• December 2021/June 2022: Intergrade makes its way to PC via the Epic Games Store and Steam, respectively.
• February 2024: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second chapter of the trilogy, debuts globally on the PlayStation 5 across two discs.
• January 2025: Rebirth sees a PC release on Steam and the Epic Games Store.
• December 2025: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion arrives on PS5, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, and PC.
• January 2026: Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade arrives on the Switch 2 and Xbox ecosystems.
• June 2026: Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches for the Switch 2 and Xbox platforms.
• September 2026: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion joins the Switch 2 library.
• April 2027: The scheduled release of Final Fantasy VII Revelation.

Market Implications and Strategic Shift

The aggressive porting of the Final Fantasy VII catalog to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S represents a fundamental pivot in Square Enix’s business strategy. Historically, the company relied on PlayStation-focused exclusivity to drive sales and secure marketing support. By pivoting to a "day-and-date" multi-platform strategy for the trilogy’s finale, Square Enix is acknowledging the necessity of reaching the widest possible audience to recoup the significant development costs associated with modern, high-fidelity RPGs.

The inclusion of these titles on the Switch 2, in particular, suggests that the hardware is capable of handling the demanding performance requirements of the Unreal Engine-based titles that power the modern Final Fantasy experience. For Nintendo, securing these titles is a major victory, as it helps rebrand the Switch successor as a viable platform for high-end, cinematic Western-style Eastern RPGs.

The Role of Narrative and Fan Engagement

Final Fantasy VII Revelation carries the heavy burden of concluding a narrative that has been in the public consciousness for nearly three decades. The original 1997 game is often cited as one of the most influential titles in the history of the medium. The Remake project, however, has consistently subverted expectations, introducing meta-narrative elements and timeline alterations that have kept the player base highly engaged.

The focus on Sephiroth in the latest trailer serves as a reminder that despite the changes to the plot, the core struggle between Cloud and his nemesis remains the emotional anchor of the series. Industry analysts suggest that by maintaining a consistent release cadence for the Remake and Rebirth, and now announcing the firm release date for Revelation, Square Enix has successfully maintained momentum, ensuring that the project remains a centerpiece of the gaming industry’s annual cultural cycle.

Technical Considerations and Hardware Parity

The transition of the Final Fantasy VII library to the Switch 2, Xbox, and PC ecosystems has not been without its technical challenges. As the titles were originally optimized for the high-performance architecture of the PlayStation 5, porting them to the Switch 2 required significant engineering effort.

The decision to omit save-file transfers between the original Switch version of Crisis Core and the new Switch 2 version highlights the disparity in the underlying software architecture of the two systems. While frustrating for some users, the move ensures that the Switch 2 version can utilize advanced graphical features and performance profiles that the original handheld hardware simply could not support. This focus on performance parity across current-gen platforms—including the Xbox Series X|S and the high-end PC market—is likely to be the standard moving forward for all future Square Enix releases.

Looking Toward the Future

With the announcement of the April 8, 2027, release date for Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the industry now turns its attention to the final marketing push. Square Enix is expected to reveal more about the gameplay mechanics and the final scope of the trilogy in the coming months.

The successful integration of the back catalog onto the Switch 2 suggests that Square Enix is confident in the console’s performance capabilities. As the publisher looks toward the post-Final Fantasy VII era, the lessons learned from the Remake project—specifically regarding the balance between fidelity, multi-platform availability, and narrative pacing—will undoubtedly shape the development of the next generation of Square Enix titles. For now, fans of the series can look forward to a busy year as they revisit the origins of the story via the Switch 2, while preparing for the conclusion of the most ambitious project in the studio’s history.