'I Did My Best' — Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Responds to Fans Asking for Full Disc Version

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi expressed his efforts to secure a disc release for the game, as the gaming industry moves towards an all-digital future, according to an interview with Radio Times. Hamaguchi, who has previously discussed this topic, explained that his own love for physical media inspired him to fight for at least one disc in the game's release.

"I bought lots of physical editions of games as a child," Hamaguchi stated, "and if I'm particularly attached to a title, I want to get the physical version." He acknowledged that the topic of a fully digital future has become particularly sensitive in recent months and that as someone in the industry, he sometimes wants to give his friends who have worked on games a signed copy of their own work.

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is set to launch in 2027 with a disc option for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, but it's important to note that the full experience will require an additional download of significant size. This decision, while causing controversy among fans, was not taken lightly by Hamaguchi and the team at Square Enix.

Although he understands the frustration of those who prefer disc-less editions, Hamaguchi emphasized that his responsibility as director was to ensure the game provided a fun and exciting experience.

He also pointed out that the product line-up and its distribution were the responsibility of the publishing team, and therefore, he had limited authority in this matter. Despite the pressure for disc-less and digital editions, Hamaguchi fought for the physical version as much as possible, resulting in negotiations with first parties that led to Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's one-disc strategy.

The director expressed his understanding of those who may not agree with this direction, but he hoped they would appreciate his efforts to secure the best possible outcome. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will release with a disc on April 8, 2027, for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S, months before Sony phases out physical releases for new PS5 games. Hamaguchi believes physical media will remain in some form in the future, but he acknowledged that change is coming.