Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 sounds closer than ever after Naoki Hamaguchi’s 40-playthrough update

19 May 2026
Nintendo Switch 2
9 min.
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Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 sounds closer than ever after Naoki Hamaguchi’s 40-playthrough update

Summary:

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 is still without an official title or release date, but the latest comments from director Naoki Hamaguchi make the trilogy’s final entry sound much further along than many players may have assumed. Hamaguchi recently said that he has already completed over 40 full playthroughs of the upcoming game, while also saying that the team is excited about how development is progressing. That is a striking detail, not because it confirms a launch window, but because it suggests the game is in a state where full runs are possible, repeatable, and useful for shaping the final experience. For a project carrying the weight of Final Fantasy VII’s legacy, that matters. This final instalment has to follow Remake and Rebirth, continue Cloud’s journey, handle major character arcs, and deliver a conclusion that feels satisfying without losing the bold identity of the remake trilogy. Square Enix has also kept the wider Final Fantasy VII conversation active, with Rebirth already available on PlayStation 5 and PC, and heading to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on June 3, 2026. The result is a trilogy finale that feels increasingly real, even while fans are still waiting for its full reveal.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 sounds further along than many fans expected

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 has been one of those games fans keep watching from the corner of their eye, like a chocobo wandering a little too close to the edge of the map. Square Enix has not revealed the final title or release date yet, but Naoki Hamaguchi’s latest development update gives the project a much more tangible shape. The key detail is simple and hard to ignore: Hamaguchi says he has already completed over 40 full playthroughs of the third game. That does not mean a release announcement is automatically around the corner, and it should not be treated as one. Still, it does tell us that the final entry is no longer some distant sketch on a planning board.

Naoki Hamaguchi’s 40 full playthroughs point to serious hands-on testing

When a director says he has completed more than 40 full playthroughs, that number does a lot of heavy lifting. It suggests more than casual checking, more than reviewing isolated levels, and more than glancing at milestone builds between meetings. A full playthrough usually means seeing how the game breathes from beginning to end, how its story beats land, how its systems connect, and whether the pacing holds together after dozens of hours. For a role-playing game, that matters enormously. These games are not tiny puzzle boxes. They are sprawling machines full of combat systems, character progression, cutscenes, side activities, menus, traversal, pacing shifts, and emotional payoffs that can either sing together or trip over one another.

Why repeated playthroughs matter for a role-playing game of this scale

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth showed how large and layered this remake project has become. It was not simply a straight road from one story scene to the next, but a broad RPG filled with exploration, minigames, combat challenges, party interactions, and moments designed to let players live inside the world rather than merely pass through it. The third entry has to carry that same ambition while also bringing the trilogy toward a proper finish. Repeated playthroughs can expose issues that are easy to miss in smaller tests. A boss may feel fair in isolation but exhausting after a long dungeon. A story reveal may work once, then feel awkward when placed after several hours of side activity. That is why a director playing again and again can matter.

The final chapter has a lot of emotional weight to carry

The final part of the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy is not just another sequel. It is the closing act of a reinterpretation that began with Final Fantasy VII Remake in 2020 and expanded dramatically with Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. For many players, this project is carrying decades of memory, expectation, and debate. Some fans want the story to honor the original with care. Others are fascinated by the remake trilogy’s willingness to bend expectations and play with fate, memory, and possibility. That creates a delicate balancing act. Square Enix has to make the ending feel earned for longtime fans, while also giving newer players a finale that works on its own terms.

Square Enix is building toward the end of a long remake journey

It is easy to forget how strange the remake project once sounded. Reimagining Final Fantasy VII as a multi-part modern trilogy was a bold move, and not everyone was convinced it could work. Remake focused heavily on Midgar, turning what was once the opening portion of the original game into a full-length experience. Rebirth then opened the world and pushed the party into a much wider adventure. Now Part 3 has the difficult task of tying everything together. It has to carry the momentum of the previous two entries, resolve the biggest story threads, and make the full trilogy feel intentional rather than stretched. No pressure, right? Just the emotional equivalent of catching a falling Meteor with both hands.

The lack of a final title keeps speculation alive

One of the most interesting parts of the current situation is what Square Enix still has not said. The third game does not yet have a public title, which leaves fans guessing about what word will sit beside Remake and Rebirth. That silence naturally fuels speculation, but it is important to separate excitement from confirmed information. The safest reading is that Square Enix is still holding back the full identity of the project until it is ready to reveal the next major step. The title will matter because this trilogy has used naming to frame each instalment’s purpose. Remake introduced the concept, Rebirth widened it, and the final name will likely signal the tone of the ending.

Rebirth’s wider release helps keep the trilogy in the spotlight

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth is already available on PlayStation 5 and PC, and Square Enix has confirmed that it will arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on June 3, 2026. That wider release is important for the trilogy’s future because it brings more players into the middle chapter before the final entry arrives. A trilogy finale lands better when the audience has access to the journey that came before it. For players who skipped Rebirth because of platform limits, the upcoming release could become the bridge they need. It also keeps Final Fantasy VII visible across more ecosystems, which matters when Square Enix is preparing to close such a high-profile project.

The team appears focused on polish rather than rushing extra material

Recent comments around Final Fantasy VII Rebirth’s lack of story DLC also help frame Square Enix’s priorities. Hamaguchi has explained that story DLC for Rebirth was considered, but the team chose not to move ahead because it could have affected the schedule and quality of the third game. That decision says a lot about where the team’s energy is going. Instead of adding another branch to Rebirth, Square Enix appears to be putting its weight behind the finale. For fans who want the third instalment to arrive in strong shape, that is encouraging. Extra material can be fun, but not if it pulls attention away from the ending everyone is waiting for.

Fan expectations are high after Remake and Rebirth

The expectations around Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 are sky-high because the first two entries changed what fans thought this project could be. Remake gave Midgar a new sense of detail and drama, while Rebirth widened the adventure with open areas, party chemistry, expanded combat, and a bigger emotional canvas. That means the final entry cannot simply arrive and coast on nostalgia. It needs to feel like the natural next step. Players will want strong pacing, meaningful character payoffs, satisfying boss encounters, memorable locations, and a conclusion that respects how long they have stayed with Cloud, Tifa, Barret, Aerith, Red XIII, Yuffie, Cait Sith, and the rest of the cast.

A future reveal still needs to answer the biggest questions

The next proper reveal for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 will have a lot of ground to cover. Fans will want to know the official title, target platforms, visual direction, combat refinements, world structure, and how the team plans to handle the remaining arc of the story. They will also be watching closely for how the game presents familiar locations and characters from the original Final Fantasy VII. Until Square Enix shares those details, Hamaguchi’s 40-playthrough comment remains a strong progress signal rather than a full reveal. It is the sound of machinery running behind the curtain. The show has not started yet, but the stage lights are clearly warming up.

The update makes the finale feel real without overpromising

The most useful way to read Hamaguchi’s update is with cautious excitement. Over 40 full playthroughs is a meaningful development detail, especially for a large RPG, but it does not confirm that the game is nearly ready for players. Large-scale projects can remain in testing and polishing for a long time, and the final stages often involve some of the hardest work. Bugs need fixing, performance has to be tuned, cutscenes need review, combat balance can shift, and player feedback from internal testing may lead to meaningful changes. Even so, the comment makes the final entry feel more concrete. This is not vapor. It is playable enough for repeated full runs.

The remake trilogy has become bigger than nostalgia

Final Fantasy VII will always carry the glow of nostalgia, but the remake trilogy has grown into something more active and unpredictable. It is not just asking players to remember what happened in 1997. It is asking them to question what they remember, how those memories should be reshaped, and what it means for a beloved story to return in a new form. That is why Part 3 is so fascinating. It has to satisfy players who love the original, but it also has to justify the creative risks taken across Remake and Rebirth. A safe ending could feel flat. A reckless ending could feel alienating. The sweet spot sits somewhere in the middle.

The final game needs to bring spectacle and intimacy together

Final Fantasy VII has always worked because it combines huge stakes with deeply personal moments. Yes, there are world-ending threats, corporate exploitation, ancient mysteries, and reality-bending confrontations. But the heart of the story often lives in quieter places: a look between characters, a memory that does not sit right, a painful choice, a promise that keeps echoing after the scene ends. Part 3 needs both sides. It needs the fireworks, the massive encounters, and the visual showpieces that make a modern Final Fantasy feel grand. It also needs the emotional detail that makes players care after the controller is set down. Without that balance, the ending would be all thunder and no rain.

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 now feels like the trilogy’s true test

The first game proved Square Enix could rebuild Midgar with cinematic force. The second showed that the team could expand the world and give players a larger, more varied journey. The third has the hardest job because endings are where everything gets judged. A strong finale can make the whole trilogy feel richer in hindsight. A weaker one can make earlier risks feel less secure. That is why Hamaguchi’s hands-on involvement stands out. His repeated playthroughs suggest close attention to how the full experience lands, not just how individual pieces look in isolation. For fans, that is exactly the kind of involvement they want to hear about before the curtain rises.

Conclusion

Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 still has major unknowns, including its official title and release date, but Naoki Hamaguchi’s latest comments make the project feel closer and more substantial. Completing over 40 full playthroughs is a strong sign that the game is playable from beginning to end in some form, even if polishing, balancing, and final production work are still part of the road ahead. The trilogy finale carries enormous expectations because it has to honor the legacy of Final Fantasy VII, follow the ambition of Remake and Rebirth, and give players a conclusion that feels worth the wait. For now, the message is clear enough: Square Enix is deep into the final stretch of one of its most important modern RPG projects, and fans have good reason to keep watching.

FAQs
  • Has Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 been officially titled?
    • No. Square Enix has not publicly revealed the official title for the third game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy.
  • Has Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 received a release date?
    • No. The third entry does not currently have a confirmed release date, so any date being discussed outside official channels should be treated carefully.
  • What did Naoki Hamaguchi say about Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3?
    • Hamaguchi said the team is excited about how the game is progressing and that he has already completed over 40 full playthroughs.
  • Is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth coming to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S?
    • Yes. Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will release for Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on June 3, 2026.
  • Will Final Fantasy VII Rebirth receive story DLC?
    • No story DLC for Rebirth is currently planned. Hamaguchi has explained that the team chose to focus on the third game’s schedule and quality instead.
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