Square Enix has revealed Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold during the North American Fan Festival. Producer and director Naoki Yoshida confirmed that the expansion is set to launch in January 2027. This announcement arrives alongside a flurry of others, marking one of the busiest periods for the game in its 15-year history.
As reported by TheGamer from the Fan Festival, Yoshida introduced Evercold as the next significant expansion after 2024’s Dawntrail. While there’s no pricing info yet, previous expansions typically launched at $39.99 for the standard editions.
The Fan Festival also brought another exciting announcement: a 24-person raid series centered around a full Evangelion collaboration titled Ghosts of Desire. This crossover celebrates Evangelion’s 30th anniversary and stands out as one of FFXIV’s most notable partnerships with an external IP. Yoshida shared this collaboration directly at the event alongside the expansion news.
Additionally, FFXIV will be available on Nintendo Switch 2 this August, marking the game’s expansion to a new platform after several years. Players on Switch 2 will need a separate subscription from other platforms. This detail raises eyebrows, especially since the game already has a $14.99 monthly fee in addition to its $19.99 base price on Steam. The Switch 2 port could widen the player base ahead of Evercold’s launch, potentially boosting subscriber numbers as we head into 2027.
Currently, the game has 23,233 concurrent players on Steam and boasts an impressive 87% positive rating across 65,382 reviews. This score has remained stable through multiple expansions. With Evercold, Yoshida believes that a winter-themed expansion, a major anime crossover, and a new hardware platform can keep the momentum going for the latter part of the decade.
| Expansion Launch Window | January 2027 |
| Switch 2 Launch | August 2026 |
| Steam Review Score | 87% positive (65,382 reviews) |
| Current Steam Players | 23,233 |
| Base Game Price (Steam) | $19.99 |
| Metacritic Score | 82 |
Community feedback remains strong as we approach this announcement cycle. One Steam reviewer with many hours logged in the game shared: “I’ve played MMOs for years, but FFXIV feels like I’m actually meant to be here.” This reflects the player loyalty built since the relaunch of A Realm Reborn in 2013. That loyalty gives Square Enix a solid audience to target for Evercold, but winning back lapsed players will be the real challenge.
What To Watch
- Evercold pricing and pre-order details: Square Enix hasn’t confirmed the expansion’s pricing or whether they’ll offer early access, both of which sparked considerable community discussion around Dawntrail.
- Switch 2 subscription structure: The need for a separate subscription on Switch 2 could limit its adoption. Keep an eye out for Square Enix to clarify if cross-save or cross-progression will be fully supported at launch in August.
- Evangelion raid release timing: No release date has been announced for the Ghosts of Desire raid series; its timing in relation to Evercold’s content schedule will decide if it serves as a bridge or a standalone attraction.
Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is the Reviews and Guides Editor at Explosion.com. With a background in game design studies and 6 years of gaming journalism, Sarah brings technical insight to her reviews and creates comprehensive guides that help players get the most out of their games. She has reviewed over 200 titles across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. Her current obsessions include FromSoftware titles and indie roguelikes.
