When it came time to produce the long-demanded Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Square Enix decided to avoid doing a beat-for-beat copy of the original 1997 game. The result was split into multiple parts, each the size of a full RPG. FF7 Remake Part 2 is currently in development, and it may ship earlier than expected - but likely not as soon as fans would like.
The first part of FF7 Remake took quite a while to arrive. The project only entered real production in 2015 and shipped about five years later, in April 2020. This is despite using Epic's off-the-shelf Unreal Engine 4 to avoid the added work of a custom engine.
Key to predicting the release date for FF7 Remake Part 2 is a July 2020 Famitsu interview with Square Enix's Tetsuya Nomura, spotted by VGC. Nomura noted the game was in full production and said the company was trying to "get it out as soon as possible" - presumably in a shorter timeframe than five years. Since much of the art assets and engine technology are already in place, the biggest challenges should be story and gameplay content, as well as developing it as a PS5-native title with even more detailed graphics. It's possible the game could launch sometime in 2022.
Why FF7 Remake Part 2's Release Date Won't Be Soon
There are a few factors preventing FF7 Remake Part 2 from shipping in 2021 and that might even push it to 2023. For starters, Square Enix isn't done with part one; it's on the verge of releasing the free Intergrade update for PS5 owners and that version's exclusive INTERmission DLC, starring Yuffie Kisaragi. Major studios like Square Enix also continue to deal with remote work as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. The situation is especially acute in Japan, which has lagged behind other countries in vaccinating the public. Western developers have also been forced to delay games, like Gotham Knights and Hogwarts Legacy, beyond their 2021 targets.
A reasonable guess for FF7 Remake Part 2 might then be fall or holiday 2022. It's possible Square Enix could pull out a surprise, however, depending on how early production actually began. Gamers may learn the answer soon; E3 2021 starts June 12, just two days after Intergrade's release date, and Square Enix is confirmed to present there. That would be an ideal time to tease Final Fantasy 7 Remake's next installment.
Source: Famitsu (via VGC)