Square Enix's official Final Fantasy XIV account put the story of Evercold front and center this morning. The post, published at 5:00 AM MST with an image from the expansion, teases a new threat called the Solstice that summons the Warrior of Light to the Fourth reflection, a world lost to ice, and repeats the expansion's February 23, 2027 release date. Check out the official post down below:
The Solstice And The Fourth Reflection
The official Evercold site frames the story with Final Fantasy XIV's history. In the time of the ancients, the world of Etheirys was split into 13 reflections to avert a calamity. The star survived for 12,000 years, and the Warrior of Light stopped its Final Days. The site states that "victory comes at a cost, and fate now demands its due," and that the threat of the Solstice is what pulls the Warrior of Light to the Fourth.
Players will explore the Fourth aboard 4 massive airships: Naglfar, linked to water, Hringhorni, linked to fire, Sessrymnir, linked to earth, and Skiðblaðnir, linked to wind. The expansion adds 2 new cities, Fargarth and Hjartadunur, along with new dungeons, trials, allies and arcane colossi among its threats. The level cap rises from 100 to 110.
Bastion, Zephyr And Evolved Mode
Evercold adds 2 jobs. Bastion is a main tank that wields a weapon called the Skyltborg. Zephyr, revealed at Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo, is a physical ranged DPS that fights with crossbow shots and support from an avian familiar named Nephele. Both jobs can only be played in Evolved Mode.
Evolved Mode is part of a new battle system. Players can switch between Reborn Mode, based on the current combat system, and Evolved Mode, designed to bring out each job's identity. Evercold also introduces Seasons, a redesigned framework for earning rewards and raising item level, and an Armoury update aimed at playing multiple jobs.
The main scenario opens up after a certain point, letting players choose the order of some areas, while a new auto content balancing system adjusts duties, field enemies and some rewards to a character's level in specific Evercold zones.
New Raids And Content
- EVANGELION: Ghosts of Desire: a new alliance raid series, with high-difficulty 8-player battles built from its bosses.
- Beyond the Lifestream: a new raid series made as a crossover with the Final Fantasy VII Remake series, with artwork by Tetsuya Nomura.
- Fierce difficulty: a new 8-player raid setting between Normal and Savage.
- Gauntlet of Power: a duty that pits players against up to 5 dungeon bosses in a row.
- Also listed: a new Ultimate raid, chocobo companions that can fight in dungeons, housing interiors that can be set to small, medium or large, expanded character creation with a color picker, and customizable action animations.
Some of the changes, including the new battle system, PvP updates, Duty Support updates and housing updates, will be available to players who don't buy Evercold. Square Enix notes that some content will arrive through patch updates.
Release Date And Pre-Orders
Producer and director Naoki Yoshida announced the February 23 date during the opening keynote of Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo on October 31, where Square Enix also said the game has passed 35 million registered accounts. Pre-orders opened on November 4. Pre-orders include early access starting February 19 at 2:00 AM MST, Halone's Earring, which boosts EXP from defeating enemies by 30% through level 100, and a Wind-up Köttr minion. Early access requires Dawntrail and the completion of certain quests.
Evercold is coming to PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, Windows, Mac and Steam. The Digital Collector's Edition adds the Valhallar Odin mount, and the $319.99 Collector's Bundle, sold only through the Square Enix Store, pairs a Windows or Mac code with a physical box that includes a Yoshitaka Amano art box and a reaper figure. More of the expansion's system changes were covered in Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold Expansion Brings Major Gameplay Overhauls, New Job Modes, And More.
Square Enix's full Evercold trailer debuted at the Fan Festival keynote:
Will you main Bastion or Zephyr when Evercold arrives on February 23?
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