Final Fantasy VII Remake: Rebirth Flop and Part 3 Confirmed

Few video game remakes spark as much debate as the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy. Three years after the launch of Rebirth, the conversation is split: one camp celebrates a critical darling, another calls the PC launch a flop. Here’s what the verified numbers and developer statements actually tell us, and what they mean for the trilogy’s future.

Release date of Final Fantasy VII Remake: April 10, 2020 (PS4) ·
Metacritic score (PS4): 87/100 ·
Global sales (as of March 2021): 5 million copies ·
Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC ·
Part 3 confirmation: Confirmed by Square Enix ·
Rebirth PC first-month sales: Under 1 million copies

The table below lays out the foundational timeline and business details of the trilogy, revealing a project with long development cycles and opaque financial targets.

Was Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth a flop?

What were Rebirth’s sales numbers?

Square Enix has not released official lifetime sales figures for Rebirth. The only concrete data point is that the PC version, launched in January 2025, sold under 1 million copies in its first month, according to Square Enix’s own PC release announcement. Unofficial forum posts on Steam Community discussions claim Rebirth sold only 2 million copies total, but those figures are unverified and explicitly noted in the posts as lacking official confirmation from Square Enix.

How did Rebirth perform critically?

On the critical side, Rebirth was a standout. Its Metacritic score of 93 on PS5 places it among the highest-rated games of 2024. Reviewers praised its world design, combat depth, and narrative expansion. That critical reception stands in sharp contrast to the PC launch’s mixed technical reviews.

Why did Rebirth underperform on PC?

The PC port suffered from optimization issues — reports of stuttering, frame drops, and crashes on mid-range hardware — which dampened the Steam reviews. Square Enix has not announced a major performance patch as of mid-2025. The combination of a delayed PC release (nearly a year after the PS5 launch) and technical problems likely suppressed first-month sales.

The implication: Rebirth is a critical success on its native platform, but the PC launch’s technical shortcomings created a gap between perception and reality. The pattern: Square Enix needs to either invest in PC optimization or adjust its multiplatform strategy for Part 3.

Is FF7 Remake Part 3 confirmed?

When will Part 3 be released?

Square Enix officially confirmed Part 3 in 2022 during an investor briefing. Director Naoki Hamaguchi stated in early 2025 that development is “coming along very smoothly” and the team is setting its schedule, as reported by Polygon in an interview with Hamaguchi. However, no release date or window has been announced. Based on the gap between Remake (2020) and Rebirth (2024), a 2026–2027 launch is plausible if development follows a similar cadence.

What has the director said about Part 3 gameplay?

Hamaguchi has revealed that Part 3 will introduce new gameplay elements, though specific details remain scarce. The director emphasized that the team is tracking progress and that the project is in active development. There is no official statement from Square Enix suggesting cancellation or delay.

Will Part 3 conclude the trilogy?

Yes. Square Enix has stated that Part 3 is planned to complete the remake trilogy. The company has not announced any spin-offs or expansions beyond the three mainline titles. The trilogy structure was confirmed in the 2022 investor briefing.

Was Final Fantasy 7 Remake a success?

How many copies did Final Fantasy 7 Remake sell?

By March 2021 — roughly 11 months after launch — Final Fantasy VII Remake had sold 5 million copies globally. That figure comes from Square Enix’s official sales milestone announcement and is widely cited by gaming publications.

What were the critical reviews?

The game holds a Metacritic score of 87 on PS4, indicating “generally favorable” reviews. Critics praised the reimagined combat system, voice acting, and visual fidelity, while some noted the padded section-filling and linear structure as drawbacks.

Did it meet Square Enix’s expectations?

While Square Enix has not published explicit profit targets, the 5-million sales milestone within the first year — during the COVID-19 pandemic — signaled strong commercial performance. The company subsequently greenlit Intergrade (the PS5/PC upgrade) and Rebirth. No statement from Square Enix indicates that Remake was considered a disappointment.

What this means: Remake was both a critical and commercial success by any traditional measure. The controversy around the trilogy isn’t about the first installment — it’s about the sequels’ performance relative to the original’s high bar.

Is Final Fantasy 7 Remake really a remake?

How does the remake differ from the original?

The Remake expands the roughly 5-hour Midgar section from the 1997 original into a full 30–40 hour game, adding new side quests, expanded character arcs, and additional story scenes. It also introduces a battle system that blends real-time action with tactical commands, a departure from the original’s turn-based combat. Director Tetsuya Nomura has described the project as a “reimagining” rather than a strict remake, as reported by Square Enix in developer interviews.

Is it a sequel in disguise?

This is the most debated angle. The Remake introduces meta-narrative elements — including whispers that alter the original story’s events and characters with knowledge of the original timeline. Some critics and fans argue this makes it a sequel that comments on the original’s story, rather than a faithful retelling. The game’s ending diverges significantly from the 1997 version, setting up a different trajectory for the trilogy.

What are the story changes?

New characters, expanded roles for minor original characters, and altered boss sequences are among the key changes. The most significant departure is the inclusion of the “Whispers” — entities that enforce the original timeline’s events — which the player can either follow or defy, leading to altered outcomes.

The catch: For purists, the changes feel like a betrayal of the original’s identity. For newcomers or those who wanted a fresh take, the reimagining provides a reason to revisit a story that’s already been told.

Why is FF7 Rebirth hated?

What are common criticisms of Rebirth?

While Rebirth was broadly praised, a vocal minority of players criticized the open-world structure as padding and filler content. The game’s 60+ hour runtime includes many mini-games and fetch quests, which some players found tedious. Additionally, the plot’s divergence from the original timeline — already controversial in Remake — continued to divide opinion.

How does the PC port contribute to negativity?

The PC version’s technical issues are a primary source of negative sentiment. Steam reviews frequently cite stuttering, crashes, and poor optimization. The Square Enix PC release announcement offered no significant performance promises, and the game’s Steam rating remains “Mixed” as of mid-2025. This hands-on frustration amplifies the online narrative of Rebirth as a “flop.”

Are there performance issues?

Yes. The PC port suffers from traversal stuttering and frame-rate drops, particularly in open-world areas. Unlike some first-party ports that receive day-one patches, Rebirth’s launch was relatively bare in terms of technical support. Players with mid-range GPUs (RTX 3060 or equivalent) report inconsistent performance.

The pattern: Rebirth’s “hate” is largely driven by two factors — narrative disappointment from fans invested in the original’s plot, and technical frustration from PC players. The hate is real but concentrated, not reflective of the overall positive critical reception.

Frequently asked questions

Related reading

• Elden Ring DLC Release Date: Complete Timeline (2024-2025) — A deep dive into another major RPG release timeline, useful for comparing development cadences.
• Joker Folie à Deux: Flop Analysis, Reviews & Box Office — Examines the gap between public perception and actual performance data, similar to the Rebirth “flop” narrative.