Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is shaping up to be the conclusion to one of the longest-running remake projects in gaming history. Director Naoki Hamaguchi sat down with press at Gamescom 2026 to talk about wrapping up the trilogy, bringing the game to Switch 2, and how he personally approaches quality control after playing the game at least 40 times. Here is everything worth knowing from that conversation.
Who Is Behind Final Fantasy 7 Revelation
Naoki Hamaguchi has been directing the Final Fantasy 7 remake series for over a decade. According to Hamaguchi, roughly 90% of the development team has stayed together across all three games – Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, and now Revelation. That long-term continuity has shaped how deeply the team knows the source material.
Hamaguchi said the team has internalized the original Final Fantasy 7 so thoroughly that they barely need to consult the PS1 playthrough they once used as a constant reference point during the first game’s development. He also noted that he grew up as a fan of the original himself, making him, by his own account, possibly the most eager person on the team to finally see the project completed.
How Hamaguchi Playtests Final Fantasy 7 Revelation
One of the more interesting details Hamaguchi shared covers his approach to quality testing. He has played Final Fantasy 7 Revelation at least 40 times, and he has developed a specific system for flagging issues without losing clarity in his feedback.
- He records video while testing – rather than writing text notes alone, Hamaguchi simultaneously records footage to show the development team exactly what he means visually.
- Text and video go together – the written notes accompany the video to give full context, reducing miscommunication about what needs to change.
- Feedback is concept-driven, not instinctive – Hamaguchi said changes are not made on the spot. Instead, he compares what he sees against the game’s original core concept, asking whether the team has achieved what was planned or how it could be pushed further.
There is also a notable team culture that has developed around this process. Hamaguchi often uses weekends to run test plays while the rest of the team is off. By Monday morning, staff return to find a long list of accumulated feedback. Hamaguchi described this himself as a ‘weird culture,’ acknowledging the team tends to feel deflated at the start of each week when they see the full list waiting for them.
The Weight of the Final Fantasy 7 Legacy
Hamaguchi did not shy away from the pressure involved in finishing the trilogy. He admitted that he ‘hates the burden’ of carrying Final Fantasy 7’s legacy – while also saying he is happy to bear it. That tension between pride and pressure has followed the project throughout its development.
Despite that weight, Hamaguchi said he believes the finale will give fans what they deserve. Whether that confidence holds up once players get their hands on Revelation remains an open question, but the director’s conviction going into release is clear.
Bringing Final Fantasy 7 Revelation to Switch 2
Revelation is confirmed to be coming to Nintendo Switch 2 alongside other platforms. Hamaguchi spoke directly about the challenges and advantages involved in that port during the Gamescom 2026 session.
According to Hamaguchi, porting Revelation to Switch 2 would have been a very big challenge if the team had no prior experience. The key factor that made it achievable was the knowledge gained from porting Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth to other platforms. That experience informed how the team approached Revelation’s Switch 2 version from the ground up.
- Rebirth’s port experience was critical – the team used lessons from Rebirth to avoid starting from scratch with Revelation.
- Graphical quality was pushed higher – Hamaguchi said the team was satisfied with how Rebirth performed on Switch and used that as a floor, not a ceiling, pushing graphical quality and presentation further with Revelation.
- No deliberate limitations – Hamaguchi said the team did not want to limit themselves, aiming to make the Switch 2 version as strong as possible.
How the Team Uses the Original PS1 Game as a Reference
During the Gamescom 2026 session, Game Rant asked Hamaguchi directly how often the team still consults the original PS1 release of Final Fantasy 7 now that they are deep into the third entry. His answer pointed to a clear shift over the course of the project.
When work began on the original Remake, the team created a dedicated playthrough recording of the PS1 game to use as a reference. As development has progressed across all three titles, that reliance has faded. The team’s familiarity with the source material now runs deep enough that constant external reference is no longer necessary. Remake and Rebirth themselves have become part of the reference framework as the series has built its own identity alongside the original story.
What This Means for Fans Waiting on Revelation
Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is presented as the concluding chapter of the remake trilogy that began with Final Fantasy 7 Remake. With a development team that has stayed largely intact for over ten years, a director who has played the game more than 40 times and is running detailed video-based feedback sessions on weekends, and a Switch 2 port built on hard-won experience from Rebirth, the production effort behind Revelation is significant by any measure.
Hamaguchi has not confirmed a specific release date beyond what has been announced, but the Gamescom 2026 appearance signals that Square Enix is moving toward a public-facing phase for the game. Fans of the trilogy should keep an eye on official Square Enix channels for further updates on Final Fantasy 7 Revelation.