Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 has yet to be officially announced, but recent statements from director Naoki Hamaguchi suggest the game's reveal and release aren't too far off. According to a high-effort leak posted on ResetEra, the third and final entry in the remake trilogy will be revealed during this year's Summer Game Fest opening showcase on June 5, but many of the details sound too good to be true.
"I am posting this on behalf of somebody else I know to protect their identity who works somewhere in the chain between Square Enix marketing and Summer Game Fest event staff. The level of vagueness is required for safety, so I apologize. They are not a developer and do not know details beyond this, all information was obtained from working on the upcoming reveal which will contain all of this same information soon," wrote user PimplePoppingPunk. According to the leak, the game will be called Final Fantasy VII Return and will be one of the first reveals of the show, as it was reportedly rejected as the show's closer.
Besides providing the supposed reveal date for Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3, the leaker also provided a detailed breakdown of what will be confirmed in the first trailer and subsequent developer overview:
- Title announcement of Final Fantasy VII Return.
- "Early 2027" launch window.
- Three additional permanently playable party members, one being brand-new.
- New optional combat system named "Active Turn Action".
- Over 3x more narrative cinematics as featured in Rebirth in terms of duration.
- Over 2x the world size as featured in Rebirth, including returning to Midgar.
- Details on the new optional "Active Turn Action" combat system.
- Final Fantasy VII Remake Triple-Pack sale: Remake, Rebirth, and Crisis Core –Final Fantasy VII– Reunion, all bundled in one collection for a holiday release.
While the Return title lacks the punch of Rebirth, it could still fit thematically with the events of the original game it will feature. A third playable character, besides Cid and Vincent, could also make sense if handled correctly. However, the leak begins to crumble as additional details are provided by the leaker.
Having over 3x more narrative cinematics than Rebirth sounds really unbelievable, considering how many the previous entry in the series featured. The 2x the world size also sounds a little unreasonable, although this could still be achievable by stacking the Highwind gameplay (which is said to redefine the series' scale) on top of land gameplay, which would reuse what parts of the world have already been remade for Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and even an underwater section, like in the original.
However, the biggest red flag in this leak is the details of the new optional "Active Turn Action" system. Described as an evolution of the series' Classic Mode but also as a return to the original's ATB combat system, complete with a screen transition, these new combat mechanics sound more like the wishes of a disgruntled series fan who wants a return to turn-based combat.
And it's not only the series trajectory that makes this inclusion very unlikely, as Rebirth doubled down on the action combat system of Remake to offer something that's closer than ever to a proper action game, but also previous statements from battle director Teruki Endō, as reported by user entut1, where he expressed his desire to provide more combat freedom in the future, a desire that would be the exact opposite of what this supposed Active Turn Action combat would provide.
"In terms of combat, I'd like to pursue more freedom in how you play. Instead of locking ourselves in and just trying to balance what's there, I want to be adventurous and tackle all sorts of new elements, so I hope everyone will look forward to that."
While the community continues to discuss these alleged Final Fantasy VII Remake Part 3 details, known insider LaytonWright said that the leak is off. However, as they haven't specified where it is specifically off yet, there's still a chance that some of these details could be correct. In addition, the ResetERA forums staff usually requires proof from users before they can share insider information, so it shouldn't take long to learn if the leaker has provided proof of their claims.
The debate this high-effort leak sparked, however, indicates one thing clearly: the community is extremely excited to see how Cloud's journey will end. Hopefully, we will indeed get at least a first glimpse of it during Summer Game Fest in a month.
About the author: Francesco De Meo has been covering video games and technology since 2012, starting his career at small outlets like Gamersyndrome and GeekSnack. After joining Wccftech gaming section in 2015, he quickly expanded his video gaming coverage with in-depth reporting, interviews with iconic industry figures such as Grasshopper Manufacture founder and No More Heroes creator Goichi "Suda51" Suda, Resident Evil series creator Shinji Mikami, Team NINJA's president and Nioh series director Fumihiko Yasuda, and Silent Hill creator Keiichiro Toyama, reviews and on-the-ground coverage of major industry events such as Gamescom and E3. When he's not reporting or reviewing, Francesco can be found playing the genres he loves most, spending time with his six cats, reading, writing music, playing guitar and drumming for his progressive rock band.
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