2026 FanFests

[Daralii]

Indeed. It does imply that the fanfests are later than expected but 8.0 won't be delayed because of it.

That said, FF7 Remake part 3 is probably going to hit the FF7 anniversary in February 2027. There ain't no way SE will release 8.0 along side a 30th celebration for their most famous game. If they do release 8.0 in 2027 it will probably be summer.
That's a whole dang year after 7.5. I don't think I can handle subscribing for a year and getting nothing in return except a place holder on my FC/FC house. I think it might truly be time to call it quits and hand it over to someone just so I can have more than a month break from subscribing.

They'll definitely space releases out for quarterly reports, but the new fiscal year starts on April 1st, and Japan celebrates Golden Week at the end of April. If they expect the next part of the 7 remake series to carry Q4(which they might not, since Rebirth underperformed), that means the expansion probably wouldn't be out until May at the earliest.

[Aelin_Ashryver]

I'm guessing June onwards 2027 given how much of a gap we had from the last fan fest to DT release. Basically it sounds like the expansion is delayed a fair bit. Let's hope it's cause they are cooking a beefy expansion and not that their management has been so poor they can't cope.

I've been keeping around largely for community and my houses, if 8.0 is a let down I might just call it quits. The MSQ for 8.0 better be a banger. Never wanna see fail lamat again thank you.

[ItsKylos]

"Whirlwind pace" probably just means Fanfests, Media Tours, trailers and things like collabs (Monster Hunter being an example), and rerunning all the events such as FFXV crossover, FFXI crossover, FFXVI crossover, a few moogle tome events, Yokai-Watch, Fall Guys, and every relevant seasonal event in between. There will be so much of that stuff going on that it will feel like a whirlwind pace of events [that any veteran player has already done and isn't interested in].

Not even being negative; I just think the intention of what he's saying probably gets lost in translation and makes it seem like he's referring to the content schedule.

That said, maybe I'm wrong and they'll announce additional patches such as .6 and .7 to reduce the patch lull.

"Our 2026 Fan Fests will kick off major future plans which we'll be rolling out at a whirlwind pace"

Mean, he refers to the fan fests and the fan fests are primarily expansion content. Stuff like those events and moogle tomes are reserved for lodestone/maybe live letters.

[ItsKylos]

I'm guessing June onwards 2027 given how much of a gap we had from the last fan fest to DT release. Basically it sounds like the expansion is delayed a fair bit. Let's hope it's cause they are cooking a beefy expansion and not that their management has been so poor they can't cope.

I've been keeping around largely for community and my houses, if 8.0 is a let down I might just call it quits. The MSQ for 8.0 better be a banger. Never wanna see fail lamat again thank you.

Was discussed, but SHB had a shorter gap. Fanfests aren't really a good measure of when an expansion is releasing imo- really it's a wait and see

[ItsKylos]

"Our 2026 Fan Fests will kick off major future plans which we'll be rolling out at a whirlwind pace"

Mean, he refers to the fan fests and the fan fests are primarily expansion content. Stuff like those events and moogle tomes are reserved for lodestone/maybe live letters.

Considering fanfests are about future content of 8.0, I feel he refers to the content schedule IMO (Might not mean early expansion, but maybe implications in the 8.x series)

[DynnDiablos]

One BIG factor folks aren't considering right now is FF7 Part 3 is almost definitely hitting a Spring 2027 release for the 30th anniversary. They've already confirmed that is the goal and production and recording has been going full steam ahead more than a year at this point. Part 1 was April 2020 and Part 2 was February 2024, so a February to April 2027 release timeframe is almost guaranteed. FFXIV is going to absolutely avoid that juggernaut, which makes a June/July 2027 release most likely.

Personally, the entire situation is crap. The longer patch cycles, anemic content and just overall sentiment from veteran players is in the toilet and the mixed review of Dawntrail didn't help. Yoshi P still acts like he has the benefits of when FFXIV was in its prime and he could do no wrong and say whatever he wanted and folks would eat it up. That isn't the case anymore.

All I know is I refuse to be held hostage by this game over a house and stuck subbing for something I have ZERO interest in playing during the downtime. So, it is time to jettison my three extra retainers, pack up the house and ditch it because after 7.5 I am peacing out until a month before 8.0 drops. No way in hell I am going to keep subbing 12+ months with nothing new happening over a piece of virtual real estate. I've done it for years. No more.

[ItsKylos]

One BIG factor folks aren't considering right now is FF7 Part 3 is almost definitely hitting a Spring 2027 release for the 30th anniversary. They've already confirmed that is the goal and production and recording has been going full steam ahead more than a year at this point. Part 1 was April 2020 and Part 2 was February 2024, so a February to April 2027 release timeframe is almost guaranteed. FFXIV is going to absolutely avoid that juggernaut, which makes a June/July 2027 release most likely.

Personally, the entire situation is crap. The longer patch cycles, anemic content and just overall sentiment from veteran players is in the toilet and the mixed review of Dawntrail didn't help. Yoshi P still acts like he has the benefits of when FFXIV was in its prime and he could do no wrong and say whatever he wanted and folks would eat it up. That isn't the case anymore.

All I know is I refuse to be held hostage by this game over a house and stuck subbing for something I have ZERO interest in playing during the downtime. So, it is time to jettison my three extra retainers, pack up the house and ditch it because after 7.5 I am peacing out until a month before 8.0 drops. No way in hell I am going to keep subbing 12+ months with nothing new happening over a piece of virtual real estate. I've done it for years. No more.

Square Enix likely wants FFXIV to be in the fiscal year of 2027, so I expect a late January release honestly and let's say FF7 Part 3 releases on its anniversary January 31st... we could still see a March release for 8.0

Genuinely, let's just wait and see lol- dooming won't get us anywhere, and at the same time the situation also doesn't call for complete optimism

[Daralii]

Square Enix likely wants FFXIV to be in the fiscal year of 2027, so I expect a late January release honestly and let's say FF7 Part 3 releases on its anniversary January 31st... we could still see a March release for 8.0

Genuinely, let's just wait and see lol- dooming won't get us anywhere, and at the same time the situation also doesn't call for complete optimism

Japan's fiscal year starts in April for corporations and the government.

[ItsKylos]

Japan's fiscal year starts in April for corporations and the government.

From what I saw in the Square Enix reports, this fiscal year is considered the 2026 Fiscal Year, so the one from April 1st 2026 - March 31st 2027 would be the 2027 fiscal year

[Khutulun]

So much time before the next expansion, but tbh I'm not sure I expect it to go well used. FF14 needs manpower + budget boost when 8.0 drops, that way they have enough time to train up the new blood and shorten 9.0's release schedule- assuming FF14 doesn't crash and burn with a disappointing 8.0.