Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold finally has a date, and it's a little later than promised. The MMO's next expansion launches on 23 February 2027, with early access from 19 February, according to 4Gamer and AUTOMATON. AUTOMATON says Square Enix announced the dates on 31 October.
The headline extra: a second new job. It's called Zephyr, it's a ranged physical DPS, and it shoots a crossbow.
A quick note on sourcing: we couldn't check Square Enix's own announcement of the new dates directly, so everything below is credited to the outlets that reported it.
The dates
Both Japanese outlets give the same pair of dates: early access opens on 19 February 2027 and the full release follows on 23 February. 4Gamer says the announcement was made at FINAL FANTASY XIV FAN FESTIVAL 2026 in TOKYO.
Shacknews reports that producer and director Naoki Yoshida revealed the date in his keynote at the Japanese fan festival. It adds that pre-orders open on Wednesday, 4 November 2026, and that pre-ordering is what makes you eligible for early access.
When Square Enix first revealed Evercold at Fan Festival 2026 in Anaheim, its own Final Fantasy news site gave a January 2027 window. Shacknews also describes February as a slight delay from that window.
Zephyr, the crossbow job
Evercold already had one new job, the tank Bastion. Zephyr is the second, and it covers a role the game hasn't added to in years.
4Gamer reports that Zephyr fights with a crossbow alongside a raptor-type familiar called ネフェレ (we've written it as Nephele; the Japanese reports give no official English spelling). AUTOMATON calls it a ranged physical DPS, the first new job in that role since Dancer in 2019, and says it also comes with several movement actions. Shacknews describes it as a ranged DPS that fights with a crossbow and "a trusty avian familiar".
None of the reports we read include a full skill list, so how Nephele actually plays (a pet you command, or something that fires off on its own) is still an open question.
What else is coming
AUTOMATON lists the other parts of the expansion: multiple new areas, a season system, a new battle job system, a new menu called Adventurer Activity, and a new chapter of the story. It also reports that the game's design is being overhauled to make Final Fantasy XIV easier to play.
The story picks up in the Fourth, a mirror world that AUTOMATON says is being eaten away by the power of ice and is close to collapse. Shacknews reports that the keynote also showed new footage and one of the new areas, Sessyrmnir, Realmship of Earth, which it describes as one of the Fourth's five huge airships, with towns and fields on its surface.
Square Enix's April post calls Evercold the sixth expansion for Final Fantasy XIV Online and the start of the Godless Realms Saga.
Which platforms
On platforms, Shacknews reports that Evercold is coming to every platform Final Fantasy XIV Online is on, including the newer Nintendo Switch 2 version. AUTOMATON lists the game as currently available on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. None of the reports we read mention editions or prices yet.
What to do now
If you want early access, the date that matters is 4 November, when Shacknews says pre-orders open. Until Square Enix posts its own English details on its news sites, treat edition contents and prices as unknown.
Jax's take: A few extra weeks is about the friendliest delay an MMO can give you. It's announced months ahead, it comes with an exact date, and it lands alongside a brand new ranged DPS, the first in that role since Dancer. A crossbow with a bird attached is a strong pitch. Now Square Enix just has to make Nephele feel like a partner and not a cooldown with feathers.
Reporting notes