Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold will launch on Tuesday, February 23, 2027, with early access starting Friday, February 19, 2027, Square Enix announced at Fan Festival Tokyo on October 30. Pre-orders open Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and a pre-order is what unlocks the early access window.
The date is later than the January 2027 window Square Enix gave when it first revealed the expansion. Game director Naoki Yoshida apologized on stage, and PCGamesN reported him saying: “This is being done to make sure we can deliver on the many promises we’ve made.”
When does Evercold come out?
Evercold arrives on February 23, 2027, and anyone who pre-orders can start four days earlier. The key dates from the keynote and the official Evercold site:
- Pre-orders start: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Early access starts: Friday, February 19, 2027
- Full launch: Tuesday, February 23, 2027
- Platforms listed on the official site: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows and Mac, with Steam as the PC store
Gematsu reported in April that PlayStation 4 support is planned to end after Patch 8.3, so PS4 players have a limited runway.
What is new in Evercold?
Evercold adds two jobs, the tank Bastion and the physical ranged DPS Zephyr, and both start at level 90. The Zephyr fights with a crossbow alongside a bird of prey called a Nephele, according to PCGamesN. Both new jobs play only in the new Evolved Mode.
Existing jobs get a choice between Reborn Mode, which keeps today’s combat, and Evolved Mode, which the official site says is designed to highlight each job’s identity.
The story moves to a world called the Fourth, built around huge realmships:
- Sessrymnir, the Realmship of Earth
- Skiðblaðnir, the Realmship of Wind, home of the cat-like Köttr
- Naglfar, the Realmship of Water
- Hringhorni, the Realmship of Fire
- Fargarth, a new city
After the opening area, players can tackle three zones in any order, and content scales to character level. A new weekly rhythm of missions replaces the old daily focus, and Yoshida said the “seasons” label for two-patch cycles does not mean extra fees.
What else was announced?
Yoshida also showed Gauntlet of Power, a four-player boss rush open to characters from level 51 onward, plus eight-player Savage Alliance Raids starting with the Evangelion crossover “Ghosts of Desire”. Seasonal gear is shared across all your jobs, and your highest item level can be copied to other max-level jobs.
A character creation benchmark is planned for December, according to PCGamesN, so players can try the expanded color picker and eye options early. A test of wider player matching within a region comes to North America and Europe on Tuesday, November 10.
Prices
None of the sources lists a price yet, in Canadian or US dollars. The official site shows four versions: Standard Edition, Digital Collector’s Edition, Collector’s Bundle and Collector’s Box, but without amounts. Prices should appear when pre-orders open on November 4, so check the Square Enix store, the Mog Station and your console or Steam storefront that day rather than trusting any early figure.
Who it suits
Returning players who left after Dawntrail get the cleanest on-ramp: the weekly mission system is built for people who cannot log in every day, and copying your highest item level across jobs makes a return to a favourite class easier.
Raiders and job fans have the most to look at. Two new jobs, Evolved Mode for every class, a new Ultimate and the Evangelion alliance raid series give the team plenty to plan around.
PlayStation 4 owners should note the support timeline. Evercold still supports the console, but Square Enix said it is nearing the limit of what it can fit there.
Newcomers can try the free trial from the official site before committing, and since the expansion is months away there is time to catch up on the story.
What is still unknown
Square Enix has not published prices for any edition, nor Canadian availability details, nor the full contents and cost of pre-order bonuses. Several features, such as the quest guidance system, still have tentative dates.
Next step: mark November 4, 2026 in your calendar, then check the official Evercold site for edition prices before choosing between the Standard and Collector’s versions.
