Square Enix has announced a new novel set within the expanding narrative of the Final Fantasy VII remake project. Titled Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Dear Destiny, the book will be released in Japan on January 30, 2026, and serves as a direct sequel to Final Fantasy VII Remake – Traces of Two Pasts. Veteran scenario writer Kazushige Nojima penned the work, which is designed to deepen the story surrounding key characters while filling in crucial moments that occur before the events of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
Nojima’s newest story focuses mainly on Aerith Gainsborough and Tifa Lockhart, giving a detailed look at their lives leading up to their involvement in the main storyline. According to the descriptive summary provided by Square Enix, the novel revisits a moment in the Sector 7 Slums, stating that, “After the church’s Guardian Angel (Angel) flies away, a reunion in the Sector 7 Slums begins to turn the wheels of fate.” The narrative aims to clarify the emotional and personal circumstances shaping each character before they join Cloud Strife on his journey.
In addition to its dual perspective on Aerith and Tifa, Dear Destiny will explore Cloud’s past as a Shinra soldier, offering a deeper understanding of his role within the corporation and the early stages of his identity crisis. These chapters are set to expand on themes introduced in the previous novel and further drive the remake project’s reinterpretation of the original 1997 story.
Priced at 1,760 yen (tax included) and produced in B6 Shirokuban format, the novel continues Square Enix’s effort to broaden the story foundations of the remake trilogy. As with earlier printed works, the release date may be revised.
The novel arrives alongside the broader momentum of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second game in the ongoing trilogy. That title follows Cloud and his allies immediately after the events of Final Fantasy VII Remake, expanding their journey across a wide open world filled with new regions, synergy abilities, and refined combat systems. The game first launched for PlayStation 5 in February 2024, reached PC players through Steam in January 2025, and is scheduled to arrive on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X and S at a later date.
