Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth director Naoki Hamaguchi has addressed the inclusion of an auto-leveling feature that allows players to automatically increase their character levels, a decision that has sparked significant debate within the gaming community. This option is intended to enable players to progress through the story without the need for extensive grinding.
During an interview at Tokyo Game Show 2026, Hamaguchi noted that feedback from previous games indicated some players struggled to complete the main story due to being underleveled, often feeling compelled to engage with side quests they did not enjoy. "For people who really just want to do the main story, we've included an option that asks, if your level is not high enough for the recommended level when you reach a part of the main story, 'Would you like to automatically raise [your level] to the recommended level?'" he stated.
However, this feature has drawn criticism from some players and industry figures. Veteran game artist TheCartelDel voiced a common sentiment on X (formerly Twitter), arguing that such features detract from the valuable life lessons games can teach, such as patience and perseverance. "We need to have a serious discussion about how games used to be a unique method to teach kids & teens about patience, delayed gratification, and working hard to accomplish a goal - and now we're designing away the need to persevere at all. You will learn to overcome nothing," TheCartelDel posted.
Other users expressed concern that Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth might be catering to players who do not actively enjoy the core mechanics of gaming. One user commented, "Having options to FACILITATE the experience is ALWAYS good, but there's a difference between facilitating and ELIMINATING the experience. In an RPG, getting lost in its world, exploring, fighting, and leveling up is precisely the nature of the genre."
Hamaguchi acknowledged the concerns regarding the game's design, particularly in relation to its vast open world, which is estimated to take completionists over 100 hours to fully explore. He mentioned that the development team is working to balance guidance for players who prefer a more directed experience with the freedom for those who wish to explore independently. The team is considering options like toggling guidance features on and off to accommodate different playstyles. This approach mirrors how many contemporary AAA games offer story modes or adjustable difficulty settings to cater to a wider audience, making the auto-leveling option not entirely unprecedented in the current gaming landscape.