Naoki Hamaguchi is again an interview with video game journalists about the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy. At this point I'm convinced the man isn't asleep. The series co-director is hard at work on the as-yet-untitled third and final installment, but with both the first and second installments jumping to the Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S in the first half of 2026, he had all the more reason to do the interview circuit.
what's the latest In an interview with German publication ntower, Hamaguchi mentions the playable hype of Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentino for Part 3. He also talks about summoning and the possibilities for DLC when – in particular – FF7 Rebirth lacked it.
It can also be the nail in the coffin when it comes to a silly reputation
Before we get into that, I'll note that there is a rather hard to believe rumor surrounding Remake Part 3. We have not reported this directly because it is so unlikely and the source is so unknown. But a post on ResetEra, which I'm honestly not even going to bother linking to, claimed (among many other things) that there would be three new playable characters in the finale. Cid and Vincent are the obvious two, given that they're the last members of the OG Final Fantasy 7 party to lack direct player control, but there's also a mysterious third.
Naoki Hamaguchi is unlikely to spoil something like this here and now before Square Enix pulls the lid on Part 3 and kicks off its marketing campaign. But doubling down on the hype factor specifically for Cid and Vincent by saying ntower sounds a lot like an expectation check to remind longtime fans that there are actually two more to add to the party list:
“Also, I can't say too much (laughs), but in the final game, both Vincent and Cid were designed with incredibly appealing combat abilities. They're characters that I can't wait for everyone to really experience.” – Naoki Hamaguchi
By Hamaguchi's own admission just prior to his commentary here, Yuffie Kisaragi, who was originally designed as a “stand-alone protagonist” for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake Episode Intermission DLC, is “incredibly versatile.” He, like me, usually includes Yuffie in his active party. It sounds like there's a decent chance that both Cid and Vincent will be great additions as the reimagining of the trilogy kicks the original Final Fantasy 7 storyline into high gear. (There really is so many remains to be drawn.)
Speaking of DLC, as we all know Remake got a big one while Rebirth got none. Why didn't Rebirth get any? Some might cynically (but perhaps with some degree of real justification) point to the significant drop in sales of the second volume compared to the first; Square would certainly like to hurry it up. And that makes sense, but it's worth noting that Hamaguchi and others have repeatedly confirmed that Rebirth's own sales have turned around a lot in its two years on the market. So hello. Crisis averted, if ever there was one.
Here's what he had to say first-hand via the same interview:
“When it came to FINAL FANTASY VII REBIRTH, we seriously considered the possibility of developing story DLC right before the project officially moved into the planning phase. However, in the context of a long-term trilogy, we came to the conclusion that the ongoing development of the DLC of the second volume in parallel with the third volume would inevitably affect the schedule and overall quality of the third game.”
Additionally, the DLC Remake was designed as a smart and compelling reason for owners of the original PS4 to switch to the PS5 with the Intergrade port. FF7 Rebirth exists under different circumstances. While it's entirely possible we'll see a PS6 port at some point, no such next-gen leap was made in the time between Rebirth and Part 3. But what O Part 3? Could we see DLC then? Maybe:
“As for DLC after the third installment, I believe that will ultimately depend on how strongly fans continue to support FINAL FANTASY VII as a title and as a franchise. If there is significant demand, we would certainly be willing to proactively explore those options.”
In my amateur analysis, that's a nice way of saying that the sales of the big Final Fantasy 7 Remake will have to be, you know, relatively high for SE to justify the cost. how high who knows If they can at least keep things more or less calm by slowly climbing Rebirth into successful territory, then that might be enough. But things change all the time, and that's hardly a guarantee of Part 3 DLC, so if it never happens, it doesn't necessarily mean the game was some kind of commercial dud.
Finally, interviewer ntower slyly asked Hamaguchi about whether fans will see the beloved Knights of the Wheel summon in Part 3. (My money is on yes.) Without directly confirming this, I believe Hamaguchi's answer comes pretty close to it:
“There are many elements that symbolize FINAL FANTASY VII, and I definitely think that the Knights of the Wheel and the visual effects for Sephiroth's Supernova are among the most iconic. However, at this time, I cannot go into details about how these elements will be handled in the trilogy or what decisions have been made.” […] That said, speaking not only as a developer, but also as a fan who played the original, I'm personally very curious about how best to recreate these iconic moments for today's audience.”
If you're so curious, Hamaguchi-san, then I'm sure we'll see KOTR in gorgeous remastered graphics when Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 launches sometime between now and… um, whenever it actually gets here. Here's hoping Summer Game Fest brings us a nice big trailer.
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