During the opening keynote of the FINAL FANTASY XIV Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo, Producer and Director Naoki Yoshida revealed zephyr, the second and final new job coming in Evercold. It joins bastion, the dual-greatshield tank unveiled at the Berlin Fan Festival in July. Square Enix also locked in a release date of Tuesday, February 23, 2027, debuted the expansion’s full-length trailer, and revealed a slate of new content, including a new EVANGELION crossover trailer and fresh FINAL FANTASY VII Remake artwork from Tetsuya Nomura.
Meet the Zephyr
Zephyr is a physical ranged DPS, the same role as Bard, Machinist and Dancer. It combines crossbow shots with support from Nephele, an avian familiar that fights alongside you. You can see it in action in the job trailer below.
Everything Revealed in the Keynote
A physical ranged DPS that pairs crossbow shots with Nephele, an avian familiar.
A new raid difficulty between Normal and Savage, so more players can take on tougher content.
A new way to play your Warrior of Light that highlights each job’s unique identity.
A new reward system that changes how item rewards are earned, with more freedom to play your way.
EVANGELION Crashes the Alliance Raids
A new trailer for the EVANGELION: Ghosts of Desire alliance raid crossover also debuted. Square Enix announced new high-difficulty 8-player battles that rework select bosses from the alliance raid into tougher, Savage-like encounters.
Pre-Order Bonuses
Collector’s Box and Digital Collector’s Edition
The Collector’s Bundle is available in limited quantities exclusively from the Square Enix Store. It contains the physical Collector’s Box and a code for the Evercold Digital Collector’s Edition for Windows or Mac. Players on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Switch 2 and Steam can order the Collector’s Box on its own and pre-order the Digital Collector’s Edition on their platform.
| Collector’s Box (physical) | Evercold Special Art Box with a Yoshitaka Amano illustration · Reaper figure of the Warrior of Light · Ethos metal keychain · Köttr mini plush · Tapestry of the Fourth |
| Note | The Collector’s Box doesn’t include a copy of Evercold, in-game items or pre-order bonuses |
| Digital Collector’s Edition | Valhallar Odin mount · Entreat Crystal emote · Crystal Skyltborg bastion weapon |
| Collector’s Bundle | Physical Collector’s Box + Digital Collector’s Edition code (Windows/Mac) · Square Enix Store exclusive, limited quantities |
Want a look at that Odin mount? Square Enix released a trailer for the Valhallar Odin mount. Full edition details are on the official Evercold site.
The Road to Evercold
| When | What’s Happening |
|---|---|
| Now | Pre-orders open (since November 4). Pre-order items, including Halone’s Earring, are delivered immediately. |
| February 19, 2027 | Early access for pre-order customers, tentatively from 1:00 a.m. PDT. |
| February 23, 2027 | Evercold launches worldwide. |
| Patch 8.1 | Expanded housing, PvP updates, a revamped companion chocobo system and more begin rolling out. |
You can watch the full keynote (with English support) in the Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo Day 1 stream.
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