Square Enix has announced a four-week delay for its upcoming expansion to Final Fantasy XIV, titled "Evercold." The expansion, originally slated for a January 2027 release, is now scheduled to launch on February 23, 2027. This delay was revealed during Final Fantasy XIV's Japan Fan Fest, where the company also debuted a new, six-minute cinematic trailer detailing the expansion's narrative stakes.
The trailer depicts a world ravaged by relentless ice and magical beasts, forcing inhabitants to flee to the skies aboard massive airships known as Realmships. The footage also offers glimpses of battles and introduces new job classes, including the tank-focused Bastion, which wields gunshields called Skyltborgs, and the DPS class Zephyr, characterized by its use of a crossbow and a bird companion.
Alongside the main expansion trailer, Final Fantasy XIV's Japan Fan Fest showcased several other pieces of content. This included a dedicated trailer for the Zephyr class and further details on the upcoming Neon Evangelion crossover event set for 2027. Additionally, extensive deep dives into the new locations and changes arriving with version 8.0 of "Evercold" were presented.
Pre-orders for "Evercold" will open on November 4, 2026. Players who pre-order any edition of the expansion will gain early access beginning February 19, 2027. The delay places "Evercold" in a crowded February release window, with titles such as "Tomb Raider: Legacy of Atlantis," "God of War Laufey," "Persona 4 Revival," and "Fable" also expected to launch within a week of the expansion's early access period.