The FFXIV Tokyo Fan Fest 2026 took place during Halloween weekend, and I was busy with my own Halloween festivities so… apologies. But I ain’t working weekends anymore! Anyway, better late than never, right? Here’s a quick roundup of everything that got announced during Fan Fest, along with some cool details you might’ve missed.
FFXIV: Evercold Release Date and New Zephyr Job
Okay, first off, the headlines. FFXIV‘s new Evercold expansion will release on Feb. 23, 2027. Early access will begin a few days in advance as always, on Feb. 19, 2027. Early access will be available to folks who pre-order the game.
Square Enix had previously unveiled Bastion as the new tank job coming with this expansion, but we finally have confirmation on the second job: Zephyr, a new ranged physical DPS job. That’s music to my ears honestly, as someone who started her FFXIV journey with Bard before adopting Dancer later on and maining that. I could never quite vibe with Machinist, but I’m looking forward to seeing what Zephyr has to offer.
The full Evercold trailer also dropped this weekend and it is, as always, fire. I have to say I’m a huge fan of the way Square Enix rolls out these expansion trailers. Tease the new expansion about a year out with a short cinematic, then slowly expand on the trailer over the next few months before showing off the full thing just a couple months before release. I love it.
Pre-Order Bonuses and Collector’s Bundle
Evercold will, of course, come with a nifty Collector’s Bundle. The Bundle comes with the physical Collector’s Box and a code for the game. The Collector’s Box itself can also be purchased separately.
Here’s what you can expect from the physical Collector’s Box:
- Evercold Special Art Box – featuring an Evercold illustration by artist Yoshitaka Amano.
- Expertly Crafted Reaper Figure – An impressive high-quality figure that showcases the Warrior of Light as a reaper.
- Ethos Metal Keychain
- Köttr Mini Plush
- Tapestry of the Fourth
The Collector’s Edition will come with the following in-game items:
- In-game Item: Valhallar Odin Mount
- In-game Item: Entreat Crystal Emote
- In-game Item: Crystal Skyltborg: Bastion Weapon
Finally, those who pre-order the game will enjoy the following perks:
- Early Access – Early access is tentatively scheduled to begin on Friday, Feb. 19, 2027 at 1:00 a.m. (PDT) and will allow users to play Evercold ahead of the official release.
- In-game Item: Halone’s Earring – This useful earring features attributes that will vary according to the user’s class/job and current level when equipped. Additionally, the earring grants a 30% increase in EXP gained by defeating enemies when worn, perfect for leveling your jobs to 100.
- In-game Item: Wind-Up Köttr Minion
Evangelion Raid Updates
I’ve never seen Evangelion and I’ve been saying for ages that I really need to change that, what with Yoko Taro and Keiichi Okabe working on the new anime series, and the IP now coming to FFXIV as a new Alliance Raid…
Anyway, new trailer for the Evangelion raid looks sick as hell.
Even More Fire Artwork
Perhaps my favorite takeaway from the Fan Fest was Tetsuya Nomura’s new artwork for the announcement of the new Fierce raid difficulty level. Fierce will fall somewhere between Normal and Savage, allowing more casual players to take on a bit more of a challenge without getting completely put off by Savage.
Finally, here’s a quick bullet point summary from the keynote, courtesy of Square Enix:
- New Job: Zephyr – a physical ranged DPS
- New Areas in the Icebound Realm of the Fourth
- New Raid Series: New artwork for Beyond the Lifestream – a crossover with the FINAL FANTASY VII Remake Series.
- New EVANGELION – Ghosts of Desire Trailer
- New 8-Player Battle Content –High-difficulty 8-player battles featuring reworked encounters with bosses from alliance raids.
- New Raid Series Difficulty: Fierce – A new level of difficulty, between the Normal and Savage difficulties.
- Evolved Combat Mode –A new way to play your Warrior of Light that highlights each job’s unique identity.
- New Reward System: Seasons – Seasons bring a significant change to how item rewards are obtained, providing a higher level of freedom to play the way you want to play.
- Improved Character Creation & Character Action Skins –Expanded character customization and Character Action Skins allow new ways to express your character’s personality.
Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold is set to be released for PC and consoles on Feb. 23, 2027.
