The project director has confirmed that Square Enix will stick with the same technology, keeping all three entries on the same engine.
Since Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launched on PlayStation 5 nearly two years ago, fans have been speculating about how the third entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy might differ, both in terms of gameplay and technical execution. While it’s still unclear how the Highwind airship will allow players to traverse the entire world, one key detail is now confirmed: the game will not use Unreal Engine 5.
In an interview with GameSpot, trilogy director Naoki Hamaguchi explained that the third installment will continue to run on Unreal Engine 4, albeit with extensive modifications tailored to the team’s needs. According to Hamaguchi, it is more efficient to work with an engine the developers already know inside and out, especially one that has been heavily customized over the course of previous projects.
Hamaguchi previously revealed that the team had considered switching to Unreal Engine 5 for the third part, a prospect that made many fans uneasy. The concern was that the newer engine could introduce performance and stuttering issues, particularly on PC.
That said, by the time the game launches, Unreal Engine 4 will be considered technologically outdated. As a result, the visuals may fall short of future open-world titles such as The Witcher IV, which are expected to fully leverage advanced features like Lumen and Nanite. On the other hand, this choice could make it easier to bring the game to Nintendo Switch 2 and result in lower system requirements on PC.
Ideally, the heavily customized engine will help bridge the graphical gap and deliver visuals worthy of the trilogy’s conclusion.
Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launched this week on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series platforms, with Rebirth reportedly set to follow later this year. The official title of the third entry has already been decided, and if the plan remains to release it in 2027 to coincide with the original game’s 30th anniversary, fans may not have to wait much longer to see how the trilogy concludes – a conclusion that will likely shape the future of the entire franchise.
