Square Enix has officially announced Evercold, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV Online, with a planned release window of January 2027. The reveal took place during the Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival 2026 keynote in Anaheim, where producer and director Naoki Yoshida introduced the expansion alongside its first teaser trailer, marking the beginning of a new storyline titled the Godless Realms Saga.
The expansion will introduce a wide range of new content, including two additional jobs, one focused on tank roles and another on physical ranged damage. Players can also expect the level cap to increase from 100 to 110, along with new cities, regions, dungeons, trials, and large-scale raid content. Square Enix also confirmed the inclusion of a new Ultimate raid, further PvP updates, and continued system expansions such as gear, crafting, and Duty Support improvements.
One of the more notable announcements tied to Evercold is a crossover alliance raid titled Ghosts of Desire, created in collaboration with khara, Inc. The content draws from the Evangelion franchise, bringing its distinctive themes and visual style into Final Fantasy XIV.
The expansion will also deliver a major overhaul to the game’s combat systems through two new modes. Reborn Mode will retain the foundation of the current battle system, while Evolved Mode is designed to emphasize stronger job identity and gameplay variation. Square Enix noted that any new jobs introduced in Evercold will only be playable using the Evolved Mode.
Additional system-level changes are planned, including updates to seasonal progression, adjustments to the Armoury system to better support multi-job playstyles, and expanded character customization options. These changes are intended to refine both progression and personalization across the broader experience.
Beyond the expansion itself, Square Enix outlined its upcoming patch roadmap leading into version 8.0. Patch 7.5 will arrive on April 28 with new main scenario quests, followed by additional updates throughout the year introducing new activities, quests, and features such as the Dancing Mad Ultimate raid and further side content.
The company also confirmed that the game’s free trial will expand on April 28 to include the Shadowbringers expansion, bringing all content up to Patch 5.58 into the trial offering. This significantly increases the amount of available content for new players, which Square Enix notes already spans millions of registered users worldwide.
In a separate announcement during the keynote, Square Enix revealed that Final Fantasy XIV will be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026. The new platform release will include an early access period to test server stability before full launch, further expanding the game’s reach across platforms.
With Evercold, Square Enix is setting the stage for the next major chapter in Final Fantasy XIV, combining large-scale content additions, system overhauls, and cross-media collaborations as the long-running MMORPG continues to evolve.
