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Published Apr 24, 2026, 2:00 PM EDT
And an official name for the game’s new saga
Image: Square Enix
Final Fantasy XIV 8.0 is called Evercold, and it’s coming in January 2027. Square Enix revealed the FFXIV 8.0 expansion release date at the start of Fan Festival 2026 convention alongside a cinematic trailer teasing some of the expansion’s background story and the characters who’ll make an appearance.
The Evercold trailer starts with a flashy bit of magic showing the Shards (FFXIV-speak for different worlds) and The Fourth. The idea of visiting other Shards and time periods isn’t particularly new to FF14, but it’s become an increasingly common focus during Dawntrail and its post-game patches. The Warrior of Light, called the Traveler, appears “from the sky” with Estinien and Alphinaud, helping to save a world frozen in ice. No, it’s not a Heavensward Coerthas Redux. This is a totally new world with its own unique problems, including evil mages and what looks like crystal-powered automatons.
It’s a “Reflection fallen into ruin, ravaged by ever-spreading ice,” FFXIV producer Naoki Yoshida said.
Yoshida said Evercold is part of what Square Enix has internally called the Godless Realm saga, the second part of the new epic that began with 2024’s Dawntrail expansion. Dawntrail was always positioned as a transition game to pivot the MMO from Endwalker into something new, though this is the first time Square Enix actually gave the saga a proper name.
Square Enix normally waits until closer to an expansion’s release before announcing a launch date, but Yoshida said they’re confident enough in Evercold to go ahead and let everyone know earlier than usual. Yoshida said he wouldn’t reveal anything else about Evercold‘s story during Fan Fest, but teased that FFXIV 7.5‘s story will set up the transition to Evercold when it goes live next week.
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