Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold Sets February 2027 Launch, Reveals Zephyr Job

Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold now has a firm launch date: February 23, 2027. The four-week shift from its original January window gives Square Enix more time before the MMORPG’s sixth expansion, while the Tokyo Fan Festival offered a clearer picture of what players will get: a new crossbow job, a revamped combat option and a broader set of raid and reward changes.

Producer and director Naoki Yoshida announced the date at the event. Evercold will arrive on PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. Square Enix says Final Fantasy XIV has passed 35 million registered accounts. The expansion will also be the first to launch on Switch 2, where the game became available on August 4.

Zephyr joins the new combat mode

Zephyr is the second new job announced for Evercold, following Bastion, a tank that uses two greatshields. It takes the physical ranged DPS role, attacking with a crossbow alongside Nephele, its bird companion. The job begins at level 90, and its opening quest starts in Gridania, according to FullCleared’s keynote report.

The larger change is the choice between two combat systems. Evolved Mode reworks battles around each job’s identity, while Reborn Mode preserves the current combat and job mechanics. There’s a significant limitation for players who prefer the existing system: neither Zephyr nor Bastion can be used in Reborn Mode.

Evercold will raise the level cap from 100 to 110 and introduce Sessrymnir, the Realmship of Earth. The airborne vessel joins Naglfar and Hringhorni as a hub above the icy Fourth.

More raid formats and a new reward structure

The expansion’s crossover plans include EVANGELION: Ghosts of Desire, an alliance raid series for which Square Enix released a new trailer. The company also showed new Tetsuya Nomura artwork for Beyond the Lifestream, its Final Fantasy VII Remake raid series. Details appear in Square Enix’s announcement.

Other additions include Fierce, a raid difficulty between Normal and Savage, plus harder eight-player encounters built from redesigned alliance raid bosses. A four-player boss rush, Gauntlet of Power, is also planned, according to Windows Central.

Square Enix is also replacing the way players pursue item rewards with Seasons. The company says the system will give players more freedom in how they earn gear. Character creation is set to expand, and Character Action Skins are coming too. Housing, PvP and companion chocobo updates are planned from Patch 8.1 onward.

Seasons bring a significant change to how item rewards are obtained, providing a higher level of freedom to play the way you want to play.

Square Enix

One major question remains unanswered: Square Enix has yet to provide a detailed look at Evolved Mode, which changes abilities and rotations across every job. That explanation will matter to players weighing whether to adapt to the new system or stick with Reborn Mode.

Pre-orders begin November 4

Pre-orders for the expansion and physical Collector’s Box open November 4 at 9am GMT. Buyers will be able to start playing on February 19, 2027, though Square Enix describes the early access date as tentative.

Pre-orders include Halone’s Earring, which grants 30% more experience from monster kills until a job reaches level 100, and a Wind-Up Köttr minion. Inven Global reports that both items are delivered when the order is placed.

The limited Collector’s Bundle is sold only through the Square Enix Store. It pairs the physical box with a Digital Collector’s Edition code for Windows or Mac. Console and Steam buyers must purchase the box and game separately; the box itself includes Yoshitaka Amano artwork and a Reaper figure, but no game code.

Square Enix hasn’t explained the move from January to February. Before Evercold arrives, tests of same-region player matching for North American and European players are scheduled to begin November 10. The immediate takeaway from the Fan Festival is clear: the expansion’s biggest systems still need a deeper explanation, and that will shape how players assess its new jobs and combat choices.