Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Director Reveals How The Game Was Tweaked For Switch 2 [Exclusive]

by

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy VII Remake has been incredibly successful, introducing the beloved story of Cloud to a new wave of players with its expanded and updated version of the classic game. After bringing the first game to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S earlier this year, the publisher is now releasing the next installment, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, on those same consoles in June. Fans have been waiting for this continuation of the remake trilogy!

Porting Final Fantasy VII Rebirth wasn’t a simple copy-and-paste process. Because the Switch 2 and PlayStation 5 have different capabilities, the game needed some adjustments to run smoothly on the Nintendo console. Surprisingly, this process actually helped the development team refine their plans for the final game in the trilogy. Before Final Fantasy VII Rebirth launches on the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S, Game Director Naoki Hamaguchi discussed these changes with egmr.ru.

How much effort did the development team put into adapting Rebirth to run on the Switch 2? Were there any specific adjustments needed to take advantage of, or work around, the new console’s features?

As a big fan, I was really interested to hear what the team had to say about bringing Rebirth to the Switch 2. Apparently, it wasn’t a simple upgrade! They didn’t want to completely rebuild the game, but instead focused on making the experience work really well. Because the game has such huge areas and needs a lot of processing power for things like graphics and loading, they couldn’t just port it over. They had to go back and rethink how everything was done – things like how the graphics are created, the lighting, and how the backgrounds load. A big priority for them was making sure the game felt consistent whether you’re playing handheld or docked – they didn’t want it to feel like two different games!

Our main focus was making sure the game felt reliable and consistent, and we carefully considered how it would play on the Switch 2. This led us to confidently believe that a large, open-world game like this can work well on various platforms. This discovery isn’t just for Rebirth; it confirms we’re on the right track as we conclude this story in a three-part series.

Will the PC and Xbox versions of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth include any new features or improvements, or will they be identical to the PlayStation 5 release?

As a gamer, I was really happy to hear that Final Fantasy VII Rebirth doesn’t have different story bits or gameplay depending on whether you’re on PlayStation or PC. The developers, like Naoki Hamaguchi, made it a priority that the main experience stays the same for everyone. They didn’t want to create exclusive content just to force differences. Instead, they focused on tweaking things like performance, graphics, and how it feels to control the game so it runs great and feels natural on each platform. They wanted it to feel right, not just be different.

We continue our conversation with Naoki Hamaguchi, where we talked about how the development team blended familiar elements with new ideas, what makes Queen’s Blood so engaging, and gave a hint about the progress of the last game in the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.

ComicBook asked how difficult it was to get Final Fantasy VII Rebirth running on the Switch 2 and Xbox Series S/X consoles. They wanted to know if the team planned for these consoles from the beginning of development, or if it was a decision made later on.

When we started developing the game, we didn’t focus on specific platforms. However, gaming has changed – players now expect to be able to play how and where it best fits their lives. We knew we had to consider this for the game’s content. Our main goal with the Final Fantasy VII Remake series has always been to tell this story well and reach as many players as possible.

From the start of development, we focused on creating an experience that would work well on various platforms. Porting the game to the Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S didn’t feel like a last-minute decision, but a logical step. It was a natural result of constantly improving our approach to meet changing player preferences and building upon what we learned from making the original Remake.

The Nintendo Switch 2 appears to be an ideal fit for Queen’s Blood. Could you describe how you developed a complete trading card game strategy experience within your expansive fantasy world?

Naoki Hamaguchi explains that Queen’s Blood was always intended to be a fully developed game within Rebirth, not just a small addition. The team focused on creating immersive experiences, even in short play sessions, and chose a trading card game format because it allowed for strategic depth and a polished, complete feel.

If you get to play this on the Switch 2, you’ll totally get what I mean, but it’s one of those games where you tell yourself ‘just one match’ and then suddenly hours have flown by! Being able to pick it up and play in handheld mode makes it fit so easily into your daily routine. And even though Queen’s Blood is part of the bigger world of Rebirth, it also feels like its own complete experience. I’m really proud of how we managed to strike that balance – making it both connected and standalone. It feels really intentional, and I think players will appreciate that.

What was the biggest hurdle when reimagining Final Fantasy VII for today’s players, and how did you make sure to still satisfy those who loved the original game?

Naoki Hamaguchi explains that the biggest difficulty was finding the right balance between honoring the original game and introducing new ideas. He believes that for fans of the first game, the connections between characters and the feelings of rediscovering the world are even more important than the story itself, and those aspects needed to be handled with care.

When introducing Final Fantasy VII to new players, we knew the game needed a visual and design update to feel relevant today. Otherwise, it wouldn’t connect with them. We aimed to modernize the look while keeping the heart of the original – the characters and their relationships – intact. We didn’t see it as simply choosing between preserving the original or making changes. Instead, we constantly asked ourselves how to balance nostalgia with innovation, and that’s been our guiding principle throughout the development of the Final Fantasy VII Remake series.

Recent updates to this story have successfully captured the heart of the original while also introducing new perspectives on the characters. We’re curious – what specific changes or additions have you made to the overall story and its characters?

I rely heavily on Kazushige Nojima’s story for these remakes and wouldn’t change it based on my own opinions. However, because the graphics are so much better now, following the original game’s timing and events exactly can sometimes feel unrealistic. If the flow of time or dates doesn’t seem right, it can pull players out of the experience and lessen the emotional impact.

We really focused on making sure the player’s emotions felt natural and believable throughout the game. We asked ourselves if their reactions to events were appropriate for the situation and whether they’d had enough time to develop those feelings. This wasn’t about changing the story itself, but about fine-tuning the timing of emotional moments to match the game’s pace. We revisited scenes repeatedly to get this right, and it was something we paid very close attention to during development.

Looking back at the first two parts of the Final Fantasy VII remake, what key learnings have been most valuable for us as developers, and how are we using those insights to shape the third game?

Naoki Hamaguchi explains that the goal of the Final Fantasy VII Remake project is to make each game bigger and more immersive than the last, not simply recreate the original. The first Remake focused on a strong story and characters, while Rebirth expanded on that with a vast open world. The team isn’t interested in just repeating familiar gameplay; they want to offer something new with each installment.

With this project, we’ve constantly challenged ourselves to go beyond what we’ve already achieved with each new addition. For the third part, we’re not just trying to finish what we’ve started. Instead, we’re focusing on how to fully realize the grand vision we have for the entire series, creating a truly complete experience. This approach is now central to how we’re developing the game, and I think fans will be excited to hear more about the Highwind, which many have been asking about.

What can you tease about that next entry in the trilogy?

As a huge fan, I was really hoping for a release date, but Naoki Hamaguchi said they can’t share specifics just yet. The good news is development is on track, and they’re aiming to make this final game in the trilogy something we’ll all be really proud of. He mentioned they’re getting ready to make an announcement, so we just need to be a little patient! I’m trying to stay positive and excited for what’s coming!

Developing games always throws unexpected challenges your way. Looking back at the Final Fantasy VII remakes, what was the biggest surprise you encountered during the development process and how did you overcome it?

It’s unusual for a developer to work on a major game for over ten years, and I’m surprised to realize it’s been that long since I started on the Final Fantasy VII Remake series. Now that we’re nearing the end of the trilogy, I’m confident we can deliver a strong final game. What’s really remarkable is that, after dedicating so much of my career to this project, I feel only gratitude. Final Fantasy VII has given me the chance to work on something truly worthwhile, and I’m thankful for that.

Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth comes to Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X/S on June 3, 2026.

Read More

2026-04-28 22:29