Final Fantasy 7 Remake finale may switch to new engine after Rebirth graphics complaints

The third and final entry in Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy may ditch Unreal Engine 4 for a newer engine to bring some extra pizazz to the series. With Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth receiving multiple complaints in regards to its visuals, Square Enix may upgrade to UE5 for the trilogy’s final entry.

With Final Fantasy 7 Remake concluding in 2028 at the earliest, Square Enix may be looking to move on from the now-outdated Unreal Engine 4 on PlayStation 5 and PC. Using UE5 technology such as Nanite and Lumen, fans should have no issues with the game’s visuals.

In a recent interview transcribed on Twitter, Game Director Naoki Hamaguchi explained that the only reason Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth uses the outdated engine was due to its successor still lacking key UE4 functions when the game started development. However, with Unreal Engine 5 now massively updated compared to its release version, it would make sense to move forward.

Hamaguchi explained the team used “UE4 to get the game into players hands faster”, but multiple team members wanted to use the newer engine instead.

While moving to Unreal Engine 5 is most likely the next move for the Final Fantasy series, it could stay locked to UE4 for the final entry if need be. While unusual, some recent AAA games were still working with the very outdated Unreal Engine 3. For example, NetherRealm’s Mortal Kombat 11 (2019) still used the engine despite newer versions being readily available. The developer upgraded to UE4 for last year’s Mortal Kombat 1.

Outside of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, Square Enix has also used a proprietary engine for other games in the series. Final Fantasy 15 used the troublesome Luminous Productions engine, but Final Fantasy 16 uses an unnamed engine that was built-up for the huge RPG.

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth releases exclusively on PlayStation 5 on February 29, 2029, but that exclusivity isn’t expected to last long. However, no PC release has been officially revealed.