Final Fantasy 7 Remake director explains why the third game will still use Unreal Engine 4

The co-director of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy has confirmed the decision to stick with Unreal Engine 4 for the third game, and explained the reasoning behind it.

The first two games – Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – both made use of Unreal Engine 4, and players wondered whether Square Enix would move up to Unreal Engine 5 for the concluding chapter.

Back in 2024, director Naoki Hamaguchi told Japanese publication CG World that the studio was considering switching to Unreal Engine 5, stating that it was assessing the pros and cons of such a move and that it was “possible” but not certain.

Hamaguchi told the publication that players wanted to see the final version as soon as possible, and Square Enix would investigate whether switching to Unreal Engine 5 would accelerate this, or whether it would be best to make the entire trilogy in the same engine.

Now, in a new interview with Gamespot, Hamaguchi has confirmed that the studio has gone for the latter option, and that the third game will also be developed using Unreal Engine 4.

Hamaguchi explained that while Unreal Engine 4 is now considered somewhat dated compared to Unreal Engine 5, the development team has made so many adjustments to the base engine that sticking with it has made for a smoother transition to the third game.

“We’ve been using Unreal Engine 4, but we’ve made a lot of modifications to fit our needs,” Hamaguchi explained. “It’s more beneficial to have something we’re already familiar with and have customized to fit our needs.”

Elsewhere in the interview, Hamaguchi confirmed that the third game’s title has been decided, saying that creative director Tetsuya Nomura decided on it late last year.

“I remember an interview I did at Paris Games Week about how we’d narrowed it down to two [names],” Hamaguchi explained. “It was up to Mr. Nomura to decide which it is. And yes, after returning from Paris Games Week, he did choose one, so I can say the title has been locked.”

Hamaguchi’s confirmation that Part 3 will still use Unreal Engine 4 may also provide some reassurance to Switch 2 owners that Square Enix will be able to deliver on its promise to bring all three chapters to Nintendo‘s latest handheld.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake was released on Switch 2 last week, and in an official interview with Nintendo to mark its release Hamaguchi reiterated the pledge that Rebirth and Part 3 will both be released on Switch 2.