FFXIV Evercold Delayed to February 2027 as Zephyr Job Revealed

FFXIV Evercold, the next expansion for Final Fantasy XIV Online, now launches on Tuesday, February 23, 2027, about a month later than the January 2027 window Square Enix had promised. Producer and director Naoki Yoshida announced the new date on October 31 during the opening keynote of Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo, where he also revealed Zephyr, the expansion’s second new job.

Early access starts on Friday, February 19, 2027, and pre-orders open worldwide on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Square Enix also said the MMO has passed 35 million registered accounts, according to its official press release.

Why FFXIV Evercold Was Delayed

Yoshida apologized on stage for missing the original target. He said the team made every effort to hit January but that he personally decided to push the launch back to fix several issues and deliver everything the studio has promised, as reported in MMORPG.com’s keynote recap. Evercold will move the game to patch 8.0.

Zephyr: A Crossbow Job With a Bird Familiar

Zephyr is a physical ranged DPS job. It fires a crossbow and fights alongside an avian familiar called Nephele, which supports the player with coordinated attacks and party buffs. Yoshida tied the job’s lore to hunters from the northwestern mountains of Ilsabard.

Like Bastion, the shield-carrying tank revealed earlier this year, Zephyr starts at level 90, is unlocked through a quest in Gridania and can only be played in the new Evolved combat mode.

Other Announcements From the Tokyo Keynote

• Fierce, a new raid difficulty that sits between Normal and Savage.
• A new trailer for Evangelion: Ghosts of Desire and new art for Beyond the Lifestream, a raid series built with the Final Fantasy VII Remake team.
• Seasons, a reward system that changes how players earn gear.
• Expanded character creation and new Character Action Skins.

Pre-Order Bonuses and Platforms

Pre-ordering is the only way to get early access. Buyers also get Halone’s Earring, which gives 30% more EXP from defeating enemies until a job hits level 100, and a Wind-Up Köttr minion. Both items are delivered at purchase, so players can level jobs before launch.

Evercold is coming to Windows, Mac, Steam, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. A limited Collector’s Box is also on offer, but it contains only physical goods and no game code or in-game items.

What It Means for Players

The new date takes Evercold out of a crowded winter schedule that also includes the big releases in our November 2026 game releases guide. For another big launch story, read our report on Phantom Blade Zero’s player count.

For more on how game makers are adapting to new tools, see our story on AI games on Steam.