Naoki Hamaguchi is once again talking to video game journalists about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. At this point I am convinced the man is not asleep. The show's co-director is hard at work on the still-untitled third and final installment, but with both the first and second installments making the jump to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S in the first half of 2026, he's had all the more reason to make the interview circuit.
What's the latest? In the chat with German publication ntower, Hamaguchi mentions the playable Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine hype for part 3. He also talks summons, plus possibilities for DLC when – most notably – FF7 Rebirth lacked it.
Could also be a nail in the coffin regarding a stupid rumor
Before we get into that, I should note that it's been pretty hard to believe the rumor that Remake Part 3 has been doing the rounds. We have not reported it directly, because it is so unlikely, and the source is so unknown. But a post over on ResetEra, which I'm honestly not even going to link, claimed (among other things) that there will be three new playable characters in the finale. Cid and Vincent are the obvious two, given that they're the last OG Final Fantasy 7 party members lacking direct player control, but there's a mysterious third as well.
Now, granted, Naoki Hamaguchi is unlikely to spoil something like this here and now, before Square Enix pulled the lid on Part 3 and kick-started its marketing campaign. But doubling down on the hype factor specifically for Cid and Vincent by telling ntower sounds like anticipation control to remind longtime fans that there are actually two more to add to the party list:
“Also, I can't say too much (laughs), but in the last game, both Vincent and Cid have been designed with incredibly appealing combat qualities. They're characters that I can't wait for everyone to actually try out.” – Naoki Hamaguchi
By Hamaguchi's own admission right before his comment here, Yuffie Kisaragi, who was originally designed as a “stand-alone protagonist” for Final Fantasy 7 Remake's Episode Intermission DLC, is “incredibly versatile.” He, like me, usually includes Yuffie in his active party. It sounds like there's a decent chance that both Cid and Vincent will be great additions as the trilogy reimagines the original Final Fantasy 7's plot into high gear. (There really is so much left to draw from.)
Speaking of DLC, as we all know, Remake got a big one, while Rebirth got none. Why did Rebirth get none? Some might cynically (but perhaps with some real justification) point to the notable drop in launch sales for the second installment relative to the first; Square would surely like to hurry things along. And that makes sense, but it's worth noting that Hamaguchi and others have repeatedly reinforced that Rebirth's own sales have turned around in a big way over the course of its two years on the market. So, hello. Crisis averted, if ever there was one.
Here's what he has to say first-hand via the same interview:
“When it came to FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, we seriously considered the possibility of developing a story DLC right up until immediately before the project officially entered the planning phase. However, in the context of a long-running trilogy, we concluded that developing the second part's DLC in parallel with the third part would inevitably affect the third game's gameplay schedule.”
Plus, the Remakes DLC was designed as a clever and compelling reason for owners of the original PS4 version to jump to the PS5 with the Intergrade port. FF7 Rebirth exists under different circumstances. While it's entirely possible we'll see a PS6 port at some point, no such next-gen leap has been made in the time between Rebirth's release and Part 3. But what If Part 3? Can we see the DLC then? Perhaps:
“As far as DLC after the third installment, I think it will ultimately depend on how strongly fans continue to support FINAL FANTASY VII as both a title and a franchise. If there is significant demand, we would definitely be open to exploring those opportunities proactively.”
In my amateur analysis, that's a nice way of saying that sales of Final Fantasy 7 Remake's grand finale have to, you know, be relatively high for SE to justify the cost. How high? Who knows? If they can at least keep things more or less stable with Rebirth's slow climb into successful territory, then that might well be enough. But things change all the time, and this is hardly a guarantee of Part 3 DLC, so if it never materializes, it doesn't necessarily mean the game was some kind of commercial dud.
Finally, ntowers' interviewer expertly questioned Hamaguchi about whether or not fans will see the beloved Knights of the Round summon in Part 3. (I've got the money on me.) Without making any direct confirmation, Hamaguchi's answer, I believe, came close enough to that:
“There are many elements that symbolize FINAL FANTASY VII, and I definitely think that the Knights of the Round and the visual effects for Sephiroth's Supernova are among the most iconic. However, I cannot go into details at this time regarding how these elements will be handled in the trilogy or what decisions have been made. […] That said, not only as a developer but also as a fan who played the original, I'm personally very curious about how best to recreate these iconic moments for today's audience.”
If you're so curious, Hamaguchi-san, I'm sure we'll see KOTR in gorgeous remastered graphics when Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 launches sometime between now and… uh, when it actually gets here. Here's hoping Summer Game Fest brings us a nice big trailer.
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