SQUARE ENIX announced Evercold, the sixth expansion for the critically acclaimed FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, set to launch in January 2027.
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. It 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 significant influence on numerous creators worldwide, and the iconic franchise later expanded 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.
A comprehensive list of additional announcements from today’s keynote related to the upcoming expansion, Evercold, includes:
- Two new jobs: tank and physical ranged DPS
- Level cap increased from 100 to 110
- New cities
- Distinctive new areas
- New gigantic constructs and other monstrous threats to overcome
- New allies to encounter
- New dungeons
- New trials
- A new raid series
- A new Ultimate raid
- PvP 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 site at: https://sqex.to/lTRLy
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 Sept. 8) – New main scenario quests and introduction of beastmaster
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, but there has also 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: https://sqex.to/FFXIVFreeTrial
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: https://na.finalfantasyxiv.