Overview
- Naoki Yoshida announced at Fan Festival Tokyo on Oct. 31 that Evercold will shift from its January window to a firm Feb. 23, 2027 launch with early access beginning Feb. 19, citing the need for extra time to meet the team’s quality standards and apologizing for the missed target.
- Pre-orders open Nov. 4 and grant immediate in-game bonuses — a Wind-Up Köttr minion and Halone’s Earring that boosts EXP — while the physical Collector’s Box is sold separately and does not include the game or digital pre-order items.
- The keynote confirmed major new content: Zephyr, a physical ranged DPS that uses a crossbow and an avian familiar called Nephele; a level cap raise to 110; new areas, raids and a mid-tier raid difficulty called Fierce; and a Seasons reward system that changes how gear is earned.
- Square Enix said Evolved Combat Mode will rework job abilities and rotations to emphasize job identity but has not published technical details yet, scheduling a dedicated Live Letter plus same-region matching tests and a December benchmark before launch.
- The short delay and system changes aim to address pacing complaints from Dawntrail while the expansion launches into an unusually crowded February release slate; Square Enix also noted FFXIV has surpassed 35 million registered accounts, underscoring the size of the player base affected.