Naoki Hamaguchi, director on the Final Fantasy VII Remake project at Square Enix, told Nintendo Life that he has completed more than 40 full playthroughs of the yet-to-be-released third installment during its development.
Hamaguchi’s remarks provide a rare, concrete glimpse into the depth of internal testing and iteration being applied to the Remake trilogy.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a multi-part retelling of the original 1997 RPG.
The first installment of the Remake series launched for PlayStation 4 in April 2020, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second main entry in the project, released for PlayStation 5 on March 29, 2024.
Square Enix has positioned these releases as parts of an overarching trilogy, and the studio has confirmed ongoing development on the concluding chapter.
In his interview, Hamaguchi summarized the team’s approach, saying they were highly focused on polish and consistency: he explained that he has personally completed over 40 end-to-end runs of the third game to verify pacing, balance, and player experience.
He added that the team is working to make the final installment an "unforgettable gameplay experience," and affirmed that development is progressing on schedule.
Hamaguchi also addressed the release cadence between Remake entries.
He noted that because earlier entries were ported to additional platforms after their initial launches, the team found opportunities to shorten gaps between releases and maintain momentum across the Remake series.
In plain terms, he said the studio aimed to "tie the experiences together" across Remake, Rebirth, and the final chapter by leveraging those porting windows to limit long waits for players.
These comments come as fans and industry observers watch how Square Enix manages a high-profile, multi-year project that has already reintroduced Final Fantasy VII to a new generation of hardware.
Hamaguchi’s disclosure about repeated full playthroughs underscores the rigorous testing and iterative design effort behind AAA production pipelines, particularly for narrative-driven role-playing games.
Square Enix has not announced a final release date for Part 3.
For now, verified milestones remain the earlier launches: the original Remake in April 2020 and Rebirth on PlayStation 5 in March 2024.
Developers and platforms, including future ports, will be reported through official Square Enix channels and platform announcements such as Nintendo Direct and storefront updates to the Nintendo eShop when dates are confirmed.
Hamaguchi’s remarks provide a rare, concrete glimpse into the depth of internal testing and iteration being applied to the Remake trilogy.
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a multi-part retelling of the original 1997 RPG.
The first installment of the Remake series launched for PlayStation 4 in April 2020, and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second main entry in the project, released for PlayStation 5 on March 29, 2024.
Square Enix has positioned these releases as parts of an overarching trilogy, and the studio has confirmed ongoing development on the concluding chapter.
In his interview, Hamaguchi summarized the team’s approach, saying they were highly focused on polish and consistency: he explained that he has personally completed over 40 end-to-end runs of the third game to verify pacing, balance, and player experience.
He added that the team is working to make the final installment an "unforgettable gameplay experience," and affirmed that development is progressing on schedule.
Hamaguchi also addressed the release cadence between Remake entries.
He noted that because earlier entries were ported to additional platforms after their initial launches, the team found opportunities to shorten gaps between releases and maintain momentum across the Remake series.
In plain terms, he said the studio aimed to "tie the experiences together" across Remake, Rebirth, and the final chapter by leveraging those porting windows to limit long waits for players.
These comments come as fans and industry observers watch how Square Enix manages a high-profile, multi-year project that has already reintroduced Final Fantasy VII to a new generation of hardware.
Hamaguchi’s disclosure about repeated full playthroughs underscores the rigorous testing and iterative design effort behind AAA production pipelines, particularly for narrative-driven role-playing games.
Square Enix has not announced a final release date for Part 3.
For now, verified milestones remain the earlier launches: the original Remake in April 2020 and Rebirth on PlayStation 5 in March 2024.
Developers and platforms, including future ports, will be reported through official Square Enix channels and platform announcements such as Nintendo Direct and storefront updates to the Nintendo eShop when dates are confirmed.