The short version
- Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold now launches on Tuesday, February 23, 2027. Square Enix had been saying January 2027, so that's roughly a four-week slip. No reason was given.
- Pre-orders open on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, and pre-ordering gets you early access from Friday, February 19, 2027.
- The second new job is Zephyr, a physical ranged DPS that fights with a crossbow and a bird familiar. It joins Bastion, the dual-greatshield tank shown in Berlin in July.
- The level cap goes from 100 to 110. Square Enix hasn't announced edition prices yet, in dollars or rupees.
What was announced, and where
Producer and director Naoki Yoshida hosted the keynote at Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo on October 30, 2026. Square Enix's Lodestone called this the third and last Fan Festival before Evercold, after Anaheim in April and Berlin in July.
The headline was the date. The official FFXIV account posted it straight after the keynote: launch on February 23, pre-orders from November 4, early access from February 19. Early access in FFXIV usually means you can log in and start the new story a few days before everyone else, as long as you pre-ordered.
Evercold is the game's sixth expansion and starts the 8.x patch cycle, following Dawntrail. It's coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows, Mac and Steam. The Switch 2 version of the base game arrived on August 4, 2026, so this is the first expansion Switch 2 players will get on day one.
Zephyr: the new crossbow job
Zephyr fills the slot that Square Enix had only been calling "Physical Ranged DPS" on the Evercold site. It's FFXIV's fourth physical ranged job, after Bard, Machinist and Dancer, and the first built around a crossbow.
The bird is the interesting part. Reports from the keynote describe an avian familiar that supports Zephyr in fights, so expect a pet-style job rather than a pure shooter. Square Enix hasn't published a full skill list yet.
Two practical details from the keynote coverage:
- Zephyr starts at level 90, and its unlock quest begins in Gridania.
- Like Bastion, it can only be played in the new Evolved Mode (more on that below). You can't take either new job into the classic combat system.
Image: Square Enix
Evolved Mode vs Reborn Mode
This is the biggest change in Evercold, and it affects everyone, not just people trying the new jobs. Evercold adds a second combat system:
- Reborn Mode is FFXIV's current battle system, kept as it is.
- Evolved Mode is a reworked system that, according to FullCleared's keynote report, puts more weight on what makes each job feel different.
You'll be able to switch between the two. MMOHuts reports that some 8.0 changes, including the new battle system, PvP and Duty Support updates, will be available even if you don't buy Evercold. If that holds, players on the free trial or the base game could try Evolved Mode with their existing jobs.
On paper, this is Square Enix answering years of complaints that jobs in the same role play too much alike, without forcing long-time players to relearn everything. How well it works will only be clear once people get their hands on it.
Image: Square Enix
The rest of Evercold so far
Image: Zerocade
The story takes the Warrior of Light to the Fourth reflection, a frozen world facing a threat called the Solstice. Exploration centres on huge airships called realmships. Naglfar (water) and Hringhorni (fire) were shown earlier, and the Tokyo keynote added Sessrymnir, the realmship of earth. The new city is Fargarth.
Content listed on the official site and in keynote reports includes:
- A new raid series, Beyond the Lifestream, plus a new Ultimate raid.
- An alliance raid series called EVANGELION: Ghosts of Desire, a crossover with the anime.
- A new eight-player raid difficulty that sits between Normal and Savage, reported as "Fierce".
- Auto Content Balancing, which scales certain duties and field enemies to your level.
- A rework of rewards and item level called Seasons, a choice of order for some story areas, and more character customisation.
Square Enix notes that everything on the Evercold site is still in development, and some features may arrive in later patches rather than at launch.
Editions and price
Four editions have been listed: Standard, Digital Collector's, a Collector's Bundle and a Collector's Box. The bundle shown in Berlin includes an art box, a figure, a keychain, a mini plush and a tapestry, plus digital items such as a Crystal Skyltborg weapon for Bastion and an Odin mount.
We couldn't confirm any edition prices yet, in USD or INR. Indian players on PC usually buy through the Square Enix store or Steam, and console players through PlayStation Store or Microsoft Store, so the rupee price should show up on those stores when pre-orders open. Remember FFXIV also needs a monthly subscription after the free trial.
What to watch for
Pre-orders open November 4, so that's when prices, pre-order bonuses and the exact early-access time in IST should appear. If you want to be in on February 19, pre-order before then. And if you've drifted away from FFXIV, the free Evolved Mode update may be the easiest way back in before the expansion lands.
