40 Playthroughs and Counting: What Hamaguchi's Dedication Tells Us
Picture this: you've finished a 50-plus-hour RPG more than 40 times. Not skimming it. Not speedrunning. Full playthroughs. That's exactly what Naoki Hamaguchi has done with the third and final entry in the Final Fantasy VII trilogy, according to a report from Nintendo Life.
Hamaguchi, who has been the director at Square Enix on both Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024), shared this detail almost casually, as if logging 40 complete runs of an unreleased game is perfectly normal. It isn't. But it does signal something important: the game is far enough along in development that it can actually be played from start to finish, repeatedly, at a high level of completion.
For context, Rebirth launched in February 2024 and clocked in at roughly 40 hours for the main story alone, with completionists easily spending 100 hours or more. If the third part is anywhere near that length, Hamaguchi has essentially dedicated thousands of hours purely to quality testing his own game. My verdict? That level of hands-on commitment from a director is genuinely rare in AAA development, and it's a strong sign that the team is deep into polish and iteration rather than early-stage building.
Where Does the Final Fantasy VII Trilogy Actually Stand?
Know that feeling when a game you've been waiting years for suddenly feels much closer than expected? That's the vibe right now. While Square Enix hasn't announced an official release date for the third part as of May 2026, the development signals are pointing in an encouraging direction.
Development Timeline So Far
Final Fantasy VII Remake released in April 2020, exclusively on PlayStation 4. Rebirth followed in February 2024 on PlayStation 5, with a PC release arriving later that year. That's roughly a four-year gap between parts one and two. If the team maintains a similar cadence, a 2027 or 2028 window for part three isn't unreasonable, though Square Enix hasn't confirmed anything.
But let's stick with the 40-playthrough detail for now. In game development, a director completing that many full runs typically happens during what's called the "gold phase" or late quality assurance period. It's when bugs are being hunted, balance is being fine-tuned, and narrative pacing is being adjusted. It strongly implies the game has a coherent, playable structure from beginning to end. That's not a small thing.
What the Third Part Needs to Deliver
Rebirth ended on a note that left players with serious questions about the story's direction. The original Final Fantasy VII, released by Square on PlayStation in 1997, follows Cloud Strife and his allies against the Shinra Corporation and the antagonist Sephiroth. The Remake trilogy has been expanding and reinterpreting that story in ways that have divided and delighted fans in equal measure.
The third part is expected to cover the final act of the original game, including locations like Midgar's aftermath, the Northern Crater, and the endgame confrontation with Sephiroth. How Hamaguchi and his team choose to resolve the narrative divergences introduced in Remake and Rebirth will define the legacy of this entire trilogy. No pressure.
Why This Matters for Japan Fans and JRPG Enthusiasts
For anyone interested in Japanese gaming culture, the Final Fantasy series is essentially a cultural institution. Square Enix, headquartered in 新宿 (shinjuku, New Lodgings; Shinjuku district), Tokyo, has been producing the franchise since 1987. The word "shinjuku" itself, by the way, means "new lodgings" in romaji terms, and the district is one of the most recognisable landmarks in all of Tokyo.
The JRPG genre, short for Japanese role-playing game, has its own vocabulary worth knowing if you're learning Japanese. Words like "冒険 (bouken, adventure)" (adventure), "戦い (tatakai, battle)" (battle), and "仲間 (nakama, companions; comrades)" (companions or comrades) appear constantly in game dialogue and are genuinely useful for language learners. Final Fantasy VII's Japanese script is rich with emotional language, and playing it in Japanese with subtitles is actually a solid intermediate-level study tool. Pro tip: if you've already finished the game in English, playing the Japanese version gives you built-in context that makes comprehension much easier.
What I especially like about Hamaguchi's approach is the transparency. Japanese game directors don't always speak openly about the development process, so getting a specific number like "40 playthroughs" feels unusually candid. It builds trust with the fanbase in a way that vague PR statements simply don't.
Speculation: Could Part 3 Come Sooner Than Expected?
Here's the deal: if Hamaguchi is already deep into repeated playthroughs for quality checks, and Rebirth was released in early 2024, there's a real possibility that Square Enix could announce the third part before the end of 2026, with a release window in 2027. That would actually be a shorter gap than between parts one and two.
Compared to back home in the Western gaming market, Japanese studios like Square Enix tend to be more secretive about release windows until they're confident in the date. But the 40-playthrough reveal feels like a deliberate breadcrumb. Square Enix knows its audience is hungry for news, and dropping a detail like this without a formal announcement is a classic way of keeping the community engaged without over-promising.
Plot twist: some fans on Reddit's r/FFVIIRemake community have speculated that the game might skip a console generation entirely and launch on a future PlayStation platform alongside PC. That's pure speculation for now, but given the four-year development cycles involved, it's not completely far-fetched. But that's not all. There are also murmurs about a potential Nintendo Switch 2 version, given that Rebirth eventually made its way to PC. Nothing confirmed, but worth watching.
Trust me on this one: if you haven't played Final Fantasy VII Remake or Rebirth yet, now's the perfect time to catch up before the final chapter drops. The storytelling has real emotional weight, the combat is genuinely satisfying, and the production quality from Square Enix's Osaka development team is exceptional throughout.
Convinced yet? Keep an eye on official Square Enix announcements and stay tuned to more Japan news on jpnerd.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many times has the Final Fantasy VII Part 3 director played through the game?
Naoki Hamaguchi, the director of the Final Fantasy VII trilogy, has completed over 40 full playthroughs of the third and final part of the Remake trilogy as of May 2026.
When is Final Fantasy VII Part 3 coming out?
Square Enix has not announced an official release date as of May 2026. Based on the development timeline of previous entries, a 2027 or 2028 release window is considered likely by many fans and analysts.
Who is developing the third Final Fantasy VII game?
The game is being developed by Square Enix, the Tokyo-based publisher and developer. Naoki Hamaguchi is serving as director, the same role he held on both Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.
