Final Fantasy VII Revelation will not make players finish the story before they can raise the difficulty. Director Naoki Hamaguchi told Hardcore Gamer at TGS 2026 that Hard Mode can be chosen from the very start, a change from the first two parts of the remake trilogy. Square Enix releases the game on April 8, 2027.

Hard Mode, reworked

In Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Hard Mode only unlocked after the credits rolled. Revelation drops that requirement. “Hard Mode is selectable from the very start of this game,” Hamaguchi told Hardcore Gamer, adding that the mode will not work exactly as it did in the earlier games.

His reasoning is the endgame. According to Hamaguchi, Revelation offers a wide range of content and challenges after the main story, so the team no longer leans on a second run on Hard as the main reason to keep playing. TheGamer points out that a first run of Rebirth alone takes at least 50 hours, which made the old unlock a long wait.

Players who want something close to the old Hard Mode still have an option. Hamaguchi said Dynamic Mode returns, with both enemies and your own characters fully leveled for strategic fights. The classic rule that banned items is gone, though. He explained that cooperative abilities and the new FITS system give players so many tools that blocking items alone would not deliver the challenge the team wanted.

Release date, platforms and editions

Square Enix announced the date during a PlayStation State of Play on September 3, 2026. Revelation launches on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S and PC through Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox on PC. Digital pre-orders on Switch 2 open at a later date.

Square Enix North America lists these editions and US dollar prices:

  • Standard Edition, physical or digital: $69.99
  • Deluxe Edition (physical): $99.99, with a mini soundtrack, artbook and steelbook case
  • Premium Edition (digital): $99.99, with the Story Expansion Pass and access 24 hours early
  • Premium Plus Edition (digital): $109.99, adding a digital artbook, digital mini soundtrack and extra in-game items
  • Collector’s Edition: $349.99, sold only at the Square Enix Store, with a statue of Cloud, Zack and Sephiroth

Every pre-order includes the Mecha-Chocobo & Moogle Summon Materia. The Story Expansion Pass covers two story DLCs, one featuring Sephiroth and one featuring Vincent and the Turks, which Square Enix plans to release between Winter 2027 and Spring 2028. A digital Trilogy Edition at $84.99 bundles Remake Intergrade and Rebirth with the Revelation pre-order bonus.

What it means for you

If you skipped the harder setting in Remake and Rebirth because of the replay requirement, Revelation lets you start on Hard right away, and the easier settings remain for everyone else. Newcomers can catch up on the first two games, which Square Enix says now offer Streamlined Progression options such as unlimited HP and MP. Save data from either game also unlocks bonus Summon Materia and weapon skins in Revelation.