Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 director teases release date, and addresses Switch 2 challenges
Naoki Hamaguchi has been on a media blitz, with much of the focus on Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3. The game’s director addressed its release date at an October 24th MCM London Comic Con panel. In a separate lengthy interview with Video Games Chronicle, he discussed the technical hurdles of a Switch 2 port.
At the London convention, Hamaguchi answered a surprising question about the conclusion to the remake series. As reported by Games Radar and seen on the Dashing David channel, a fan wondered whether rumors of its cancellation were valid. With no credible reports to back up these fears, the director responded, “That is absolutely not happening, it is going ahead”.
The Square Enix veteran reassured the audience that development of the title hasn’t hit snags. In fact, he was planning to return to his hotel room after the media appearance to review the latest progress. He then revealed that the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 release date was “in the not too far future”.
How Hamaguchi is juggling multiple platforms
When ready, the culmination of the remake trilogy will arrive on multiple platforms. First, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade will debut on the Xbox and Switch 2 on January 22nd, 2026. Then, rumors suggest Rebirth will arrive on these systems before 2026 ends. While it may be a longer wait for Part 3, development on the title is well underway. In a chat with Video Games Chronicles, Hamaguchi explained how Square Enix is tackling this massive undertaking.
Work for the remakes is divided among teams tasked with ports for each platform. Despite improved specs, Hamaguchi realizes the technical hurdles involved in Switch 2 versions. However, he claims that his background as an engineer and programmer enables him to solve problems. The director mentions lighting as one of the resource-intensive aspects of the games. On Nintendo’s handheld, he discovered a way to make rendering shadows and post-effects more efficient.
Hamaguchi expects that the Switch 2 games will offer the highest possible framerates without compromising graphical fidelity. Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth may be the biggest test for the console, since it takes place predominantly in open-world settings.
