Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3: Hamaguchi Spills on the Highwind (and It’s Absolutely Massive)
Buckle up: the Highwind is no longer just a way to hop from point A to B. Naoki Hamaguchi wants it to be one of the pillars of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3—and he’s got the details to back it up.
The remake trilogy’s director dropped a flurry of reveals in an interview with Bloomberg. Wutai is being promoted to a main location, Rocket Town is making its comeback after missing out in Rebirth, and new gameplay mechanics are on the way. The third chapter is shaping up to be the boldest yet. Development is right on schedule, and after the fan-favorite snowboarding minigame was confirmed earlier this year, fans have plenty to fuel their hype.
Image credit: Square Enix
The Highwind: way more than just a ride
In the original Final Fantasy VII, getting the Highwind was a game-changer. Suddenly, you could soar across the world map, exploring every hidden corner at your own pace—a moment burned into the memory of a whole generation. For Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3, Naoki Hamaguchi isn’t just aiming to recapture that magic—he wants to crank it up to eleven.
“Piloting the Highwind is a huge part of the third installment,” the director revealed, adding that the team wants to “expand” the experience beyond what the original offered. So, the airship won’t just be a glorified fast-travel tool. Expect new aerial exploration mechanics, maybe even air battles or story events tied to flight. The Great Glacier—the vast frozen expanse players once snowboarded across—is set to be the launchpad for this final adventure.
This promise to expand the Highwind fits the trilogy’s whole philosophy: each entry has pushed the boundaries further, and the final chapter is going all in. The skies of Gaia have never felt so limitless.
Rocket Town and Wutai finally join the party
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth made some bold narrative choices, shaking up the original’s event order. Among the most controversial omissions: Rocket Town, Cid Highwind’s hometown, and Wutai, Yuffie’s homeland. Fans have been clamoring for their return.
Hamaguchi confirmed both are locked in for Part 3. “Yeah, that’s one of the things we had to reshuffle with Rebirth,” he said about Rocket Town. As for Wutai, he went even further: the once-optional 1997 area is now a main location. And for good reason: “Yuffie made a huge impression, fighting for her homeland. If Wutai doesn’t show up, I think fans would yell at me,” he joked. Here’s what’s confirmed—or strongly hinted—for the final chapter:
- Wutai, now a main hub tied to Yuffie’s story
- Rocket Town, Cid’s city, missing from Rebirth
- The Great Glacier, likely the game’s opening area
- Underwater environments, overseen by co-director Motomu Toriyama
Mysterious Chocobos and new mechanics
Chocobo breeding is one of the most divisive memories from the original Final Fantasy VII. Hours of RNG-fueled matchmaking just to get that legendary golden Chocobo—some loved it, others still have flashbacks. Asked if this mechanic would return, Hamaguchi played coy: “I can neither confirm nor deny Chocobo breeding itself. But there’s something involving Chocobos in the third game that’s a bit different from Rebirth.” Let the wild speculation begin.
Beyond Chocobos, the director stressed his goal to introduce new gameplay mechanics. “We want each entry to feel bigger, but also fresh every time you jump in,” he said. The foundations for this new gameplay are already in place, though no concrete details have leaked. While Square Enix keeps dropping announcements these past weeks, this secrecy seems calculated—to save the real surprises for the official reveal.
A reveal on the horizon—and a multiplatform launch
All signs point to this: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is no longer a distant dream. Hamaguchi confirmed the game is already playable and development is “almost exactly on the original schedule.” That’s a relief in an industry where delays are the norm. The title is already locked in, and a reveal is expected in 2026—possibly at a PlayStation showcase in May or during Summer Game Fest Live.
And here’s the big twist: unlike the first two entries, this third chapter will launch simultaneously on PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and Switch 2. Day-one multiplatform is a major shift for Square Enix, guaranteeing a much wider audience right from the start.
With a reimagined Highwind, classic locations restored, and brand-new mechanics, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 is shaping up to deliver the finale this trilogy deserves. The coming months should finally lift the curtain on what Square Enix has in store—and that first trailer might just drop sooner than anyone expects.
Final Fantasy, PC, PlayStation 5
