At the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold, the game’s patch 8.0 expansion, set to launch in January 2027. The expansion adds new trials, cities, dungeons, a new ultimate raid, two new jobs: the tank and physical ranged DPS, a level cap increase to 110, and more.
A Switch 2 version will also release in August 2026 with an early access period, requiring a separate monthly subscription that differs from other platforms, though existing players can receive a 50% discount. The event also revealed a new “Ghosts of Desire” Evangelion collaboration, accompanied by trailers for both the expansion and collaboration. Final Fantasy XIV is currently available on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series, and PC via Steam.
The full details:
Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold and Evangelion Collaboration
Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida revealed the new expansion during his keynote address at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim, with the Evercold teaser trailer kicking off the Godless Realms Saga story arc. The teaser offers a glimpse into the adventures that the Warrior of Light will experience on the Fourth.
Yoshida also revealed “Evangelion: Ghosts of Desire” coming in Evercold. The exciting new alliance raid series is a crossover with the hugely popular Japanese anime, Evangelion, and will be created in collaboration with khara, Inc., best known for its work on the Evangelion series. Since Evangelion’s first television broadcast in 1995, the anime’s mysterious and profound storyline, alongside its innovative and stylish visual expression, has had a profound influence on numerous creators around the world, with the iconic franchise later expanding its library with multiple animated films and a comic adaptation.
During the keynote, Yoshida also announced an unprecedented battle system overhaul with Reborn and Evolved modes coming to the game with the launch of Evercold. “Reborn Mode” will be based on the current combat system and job mechanics, while “Evolved Mode” offers greater emphasis on job identity. Further details and live gameplay will be showcased during the development panel on Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim Day 1. (New jobs introduced in Evercold will only be playable using Evolved mode.)
A comprehensive list of additional announcements from today’s keynote related to the upcoming expansion, Evercold, includes:
Player-versus-player updates
Ongoing content updates, including new gear and crafting recipes, updates to the Duty Support System and more
The launch of Evercold and its subsequent patch series will also allow all Final Fantasy XIV players to enjoy various expanded updates to the game’s design, in addition to the battle system changes, such as:
Seasons – An overhaul to the way players earn rewards and improve their characters
Armoury Update – To better facilitate playing with multiple jobs
Expanded Character Customization – More ways to make your character stand out from the crowd
For more information and future updates on Evercold, please visit the teaser website.
Patch 7.5X Series Roadmap
Further information regarding the Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.5x series was also outlined during the keynote, with details on the Dancing Mad (Ultimate) raid. The patch schedule leading to the release of 8.0 was also detailed, providing players with additional content to look forward to, including:
Patch 7.5 (releasing April 28) – New main scenario quests, new Trial, and Echoes of Vana’diel Part 3
Patch 7.51 (releasing June 2) – New Cosmic Exploration Star “Auxesia,” new Custom Deliveries: Tiisol Ja, and Dancing Mad (Ultimate)
Patch 7.55 (releasing July 28) – New updates to Inconceivably Further Hildibrand Adventures quests, the debut of Occult Crescent: North Horn, and new Phantom Weapon quests
Patch 7.56 (releasing September 8) – New main scenario quests and introduction of beastmaster
Expanded Free Trial
On April 28, the Free Trial for the critically acclaimed Final Fantasy XIV Online saga will also be expanded to include the highly praised third expansion, Shadowbringers. With all content up to Patch 5.58 soon to be included with not only A Realm Reborn and the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions, there has never been a better time for newcomers to join over 30 million other registered accounts on their adventures. Free Trial players can enjoy hundreds of hours of award-winning gameplay and story experiences equivalent to four full Final Fantasy titles, without limit on playtime. Learn more about the Free Trial here.
Switch 2 Version
Finally, Square Enix President and CEO, Takashi Kiryu, took to the stage to close the keynote and announce the Nintendo Switch 2 version of Final Fantasy XIV. This version will be arriving in August 2026. We plan to have an early access period, to test server stability, then launch into official service. Adventurers from more platforms than ever before can join together to enjoy this vast world. More details can be found here.
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