Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold Lands February 23, 2027 With the Crossbow Zephyr Job

Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold finally has a date. Square Enix says the expansion launches Tuesday, February 23, 2027, with early access tentatively set for February 19 for anyone who pre-orders. Producer and director Naoki Yoshida made the announcement in the opening keynote of Fan Festival 2026 in Tokyo on October 31, and he brought a second new job with it.

Meet the zephyr

The zephyr is a physical ranged DPS that fires a crossbow and fights alongside an avian familiar called Nephele. Coverage from the keynote says it starts at level 90, its job quest begins in Gridania, and it is built only for the new Evolved combat mode. A pet-assisted ranged job is something I have wanted in this game for years, so I am very curious how the bird plays in a real party.

The anime angle

This is the part that caught my eye as an anime fan. Square Enix showed a new trailer for EVANGELION: Ghosts of Desire, the alliance raid crossover with Hideaki Anno's series. It also announced harder 8-player battles that remix bosses from alliance raids. On top of that, Tetsuya Nomura drew new art for Beyond the Lifestream, the raid series tied to the Final Fantasy VII Remake games.

Pre-orders and the rest

Pre-orders open Wednesday, November 4, 2026, at 9:00 am GMT. Pre-orders get an EXP earring and a minion right away. The Collector's Box has a Yoshitaka Amano art box and a reaper Warrior of Light figure, and the Digital Collector's Edition adds a Valhallar Odin mount. The keynote also covered:

• a new Fierce raid difficulty between Normal and Savage
• a Seasons system that changes how item rewards are earned
• better character creation and action skins
• housing, PvP and chocobo companion updates from Patch 8.1

Square Enix also says the game has passed 35 million registered accounts. The full rundown is in the official press release.