The credits rolled on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and left us all staring at a screen of static and emotional wreckage. If you're like me, you spent the next three days scouring Reddit and wikis to figure out what actually happened at the Forgotten Capital. But now, the focus has shifted. We're looking toward the horizon. FF7 Remake Part 3 is the finish line of a project that started over a decade ago, and honestly, the pressure on Creative Director Tetsuya Nomura and Producer Yoshinori Kitase is immense.
They have to stick the landing.
Square Enix isn't just making a sequel; they're trying to reconcile a 1997 masterpiece with a modern "multiverse" headache that has fans divided. Some people love the Whispers and the defiance of fate. Others just want to see Cloud ride a golden Chocobo without a meta-narrative lecture. It’s a tightrope walk.
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The current state of FF7 Remake Part 3 development
Let's talk timeline because that’s what everyone asks first. Based on interviews with the dev team in the Rebirth Ultimania guide, the script for the third entry is already finished. Gone. Done. Nomura has confirmed that the main story arc is locked in.
They aren't starting from scratch.
Since Rebirth used a massive amount of assets that can be carried over—think character models, combat systems, and the entire world map—the development cycle might be tighter than the four-year gap we saw between Remake and Rebirth. Kitase has even mentioned aiming for a 2027 release to coincide with the 30th anniversary of the original PlayStation classic. It makes sense. It’s poetic. It’s also a massive marketing win.
But don't expect a rush job. The team has stayed consistent: Naoki Hamaguchi is back as director. He's the one who pushed for the open-world scale of the second game. For the final installment, he has a new nightmare to program: the Highwind.
Why the Highwind changes everything
In the original game, once you got the airship, the world became your playground. In a modern 4K engine, that is a technical disaster waiting to happen. You can't just have a "fast travel" menu and call it the Highwind. Fans would riot.
Hamaguchi has gone on record saying they want to give players total freedom. He wants you to see the world from above and land anywhere. Think about the scale of Rebirth. Now imagine flying over it without a loading screen. It's a "higher-end" version of the world system. We are probably looking at a game that pushes the PS5—or more likely the "PS6" or a "Pro" iteration—to its absolute limit.
Where does the story actually go from here?
If you've played the original, you know the beats: The Great Northern Cave. The execution in Junon. The search for the Huge Materia. The return to Midgar. But FF7 Remake Part 3 isn't a 1:1 recreation. We have the Zack Fair problem to deal with.
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Zack is alive. Sort of. Somewhere.
The ending of Rebirth showed us that the "worlds" are merging or at least bleeding into each other. Cloud is seeing things nobody else can see. He’s carrying a clear White Materia while everyone else sees a spent one. He is, to put it bluntly, losing his mind faster than he did in 1997. The third game has to deal with the "Reunion" in a way that satisfies the new lore about timelines while still delivering that iconic scene where Tifa helps Cloud piece his psyche back together in the Lifestream.
Key locations we haven't seen yet
We’ve covered about 70% of the world map, but the remaining 30% contains the most atmospheric locations in the entire lore.
- Rocket Town: We met Cid, but we haven't seen his home. Expect a lot of disgruntled chain-smoking and a deeper dive into Shinra’s failed space program.
- Wutai: This is the big one. They’ve been teasing the war with Wutai since the first game. In the original, Wutai was a side quest. In the remake trilogy, it’s a global political powerhouse. Part 3 will almost certainly feature a full-scale invasion or a massive diplomatic breakdown.
- The Northern Crater: This is the endgame. The descent into the planet’s core.
- Icicle Inn: Snowboarding mini-games are basically mandatory at this point, right?
The developers have hinted that the "order" of locations might shift significantly to keep veterans on their toes. Don't be surprised if we hit Wutai much earlier than expected to resolve the Yuffie/Shinra tension before the world ends.
Addressing the Aerith rumors
Everyone wants to know if she can be saved.
The "defy fate" theme of the first game suggested we could change the outcome. Rebirth... well, Rebirth played with our emotions. It gave us a glimpse of a saved Aerith only to snatch it away. Or did it?
There is a theory—a very solid one based on the "Lifestream White" and "Lifestream Black" novellas—that Aerith is now operating from within the planet to stop Sephiroth. Part 3 will likely feature her as a playable character in specific "dream" sequences or Lifestream segments. But a full resurrection? That’s the "Third Act" gamble. If they bring her back, they risk ruining the emotional weight of the original. If they don't, some players will feel the "Change Fate" hook was a lie.
My take? She stays dead in the physical world but becomes the "tactician" of the Lifestream, allowing for a cross-dimensional final boss fight.
Combat and Gameplay Evolutions
The Synergy system in Rebirth was a masterpiece. It took the solid foundation of Remake and added layers of strategy. So, where do they go for FF7 Remake Part 3?
Vincent Valentine and Cid Highwind.
They were NPCs in the second game. In the third, they will be fully playable with their own combat loops. Vincent’s limit breaks—transforming into literal monsters—are going to look insane with modern graphics. Cid will likely be a dragoon-style spear user with a focus on aerial mobility.
We also need a "Master Materia" system. By the end of this game, we should feel like gods. We're talking Knights of the Round. Square Enix has a history of making that summon a cinematic event, and I expect nothing less than a five-minute-long unskippable (the first time) masterpiece of animation that shatters the screen.
The Elephant in the Room: The Multiverse
Honestly, the "Timeline" stuff is exhausting for some. But it’s the engine driving the remake's mystery. Sephiroth's goal isn't just to drop a rock on the planet anymore; he wants to unite all layers of reality so he can rule over an eternal "now."
This gives the developers an excuse to revisit locations from Crisis Core or even Dirge of Cerberus. We might see Nero or Weiss again. It's a "Compilation" celebration.
Actionable steps for fans and players
If you’re trying to stay ahead of the curve for the final chapter, there are a few things you should actually do rather than just waiting for a trailer.
First, go back and play the "Intermission" DLC from Remake if you skipped it. The introduction of Deepground and the lore behind Yuffie’s connection to Wutai is going to be foundational for the start of Part 3.
Second, pay attention to the "Comms" in Rebirth. The side quests involving the protorelics aren't just filler. They involve Gilgamesh and the concept of the "Interdimensional Rift." This is almost certainly how Zack and Cloud will eventually team up for the final encounter.
Lastly, keep an eye on the State of Play events in late 2025. Square Enix usually drops their first teasers about two years before launch. Given the 2027 anniversary target, a 2025 reveal is the most logical step.
The journey to the end of the world is almost over. We’ve seen the fall of Sector 7 and the beauty of the Gold Saucer. Now, all that’s left is to find a way to stop the Meteor and maybe, just maybe, find some peace for a group of mercenaries who have been fighting for thirty years.
Prepare your Materia. The Highwind is coming.
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Essential Checklist for the Final Chapter:
- Revisit the Wutai Subplot: Make sure you understand the tension between Saruf and Shinra; it’s the primary political driver for the next game.
- Level up your characters in Rebirth: While progress might not carry over 1:1, many "clear data" bonuses usually include rare Materia or accessories.
- Watch the 'Advent Children' film: Nomura has stated that the trilogy will link up with the movie. Knowing the ending of that film might give you clues about where the characters end up.