Tag Archives: Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts IV Hits Late 2027 With a Coco World

After four years of near-silence, Kingdom Hearts IV finally has a release window — and a first Disney world that nobody had on their bingo card. At D23’s Disney Entertainment Showcase, Square Enix and Disney confirmed the game launches in late 2027, and handed Sora a Keyblade shaped like a guitar in the Land of the Dead from Pixar’s Coco.

The trailer went up on Pixar’s own YouTube channel rather than Square Enix’s, which tells you how much Disney wants this crossover front and centre. It is the first Pixar world ever confirmed for a mainline Kingdom Hearts game.

KINGDOM HEARTS IV | D23 2026 Showcase Trailer — via Pixar on YouTube

Pixar’s Coco is the first Kingdom Hearts IV world

The roughly 90-second trailer opens inside Coco‘s story rather than beside it. Papá Héctor explains the Final Death — what happens to the dead once the living stop remembering them — before Miguel steps up to a microphone and performs for a crowd. Then the Heartless arrive, and Sora drops in wearing the same calavera face paint as everyone else in the plaza.

That is a meaningful change in how these worlds are built. Kingdom Hearts has spent two decades dropping Sora into Disney films alongside their plots; here he is inside the story beats, in costume, fighting through a sequence the movie’s own characters are living. His Keyblade even reshapes into a skull-fronted guitar to match — the same instrument that drives Coco‘s plot.

Miguel from Pixar's Coco performing at a microphone in Kingdom Hearts IV

Still from Pixar’s official KINGDOM HEARTS IV D23 2026 Showcase trailer.

The other detail worth flagging: neither Donald nor Goofy appears anywhere in the Coco footage. Sora fights alongside Héctor instead, which lines up with where the story left off.

Kingdom Hearts IV release window: late 2027, on almost everything

Square Enix pinned the game to late 2027 across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2 and PC via Steam, the Epic Games Store and Xbox on PC. The Steam store page is already live and wishlistable in Singapore, listing Square Enix as both developer and publisher with a 2027 window.

That platform spread is the real break from series tradition. Kingdom Hearts has been PlayStation-first since 2002, with Nintendo getting the handheld spin-offs and, eventually, cloud versions of the mainline games on Switch. Kingdom Hearts IV is the first numbered entry launching natively on a Nintendo home console on day one — Switch 2 sitting in the same launch bracket as PS5 would have been unthinkable a console generation ago. Square Enix Asia put out its own cut of the platform teaser back in June:

KINGDOM HEARTS IV – Teaser Trailer | June 2026 — via Square Enix Asia on YouTube

One caveat worth keeping in mind: this franchise has a long record of slipping. A “late 2027” window announced in mid-2026 leaves a lot of runway, and Square Enix has not committed to a date.

Sora attacking a giant Heartless above the city of Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Donald, Goofy and the search for Sora

The trailer also checked in on the rescue party. King Mickey, Donald and Goofy are still hunting for Sora after the events of Kingdom Hearts III, and the footage shows them in the Underworld putting the question to Hades — who confirms Sora is not among his dead.

Donald Duck and Goofy in the Underworld in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Strelitzia and Sigurd from Kingdom Hearts Union χ were also confirmed to return, which will matter enormously to anyone who has been tracking the Lost Master arc since the mobile game shut down.

Quadratum, the Tokyo that isn’t

The game’s hub is still Quadratum, the photoreal city Square Enix’s Osaka team modelled on Tokyo — a fictionalised Shibuya and Minami-Aoyama, with Sora keeping an apartment there as an early-game base. It is the most grounded setting the series has ever used, and it is where Sora wakes up after Kingdom Hearts III, unable to get home.

Sora talking with Strelitzia and a masked man on a street in Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Still from Pixar’s official KINGDOM HEARTS IV D23 2026 Showcase trailer.

Tetsuya Nomura and Tai Yasue are directing, with Yoko Shimomura returning to score. Haley Joel Osment and David Gallagher are back as Sora and Riku.

Strelitzia standing on a street in Quadratum in Kingdom Hearts IV

Image courtesy of Square Enix.

Kingdom Hearts is becoming an animated series too

The second announcement out of D23 was a Kingdom Hearts anime series, greenlit for Disney+ and Disney Channel, made with Nomura and the Square Enix creative team. It will not retell the games — Disney is describing it as a new story inside the same universe, with an original lead rather than Sora.

Speaking in Disney’s announcement, as carried by Nerdist, Disney Kids & Family president Ayo Davis said the show would be “unmistakably ‘Kingdom Hearts'” while giving fans “a whole new way to experience the world they love”. No premiere window, studio or staff beyond Nomura’s involvement has been named.

For Singapore, only half of that distribution matters: Disney Channel no longer exists here. It went dark on local pay-TV in June 2020 and the wider Southeast Asian feed shut down in October 2021, with everything folded into Disney+, which launched in Singapore in February 2021. So when this series arrives, Disney+ is where SG viewers will find it — assuming it carries the same rights into this region, which has not been confirmed either way yet.

The 25th anniversary panel airs Sunday morning, Singapore time

There is more coming almost immediately. D23’s DEEP DIVE into KINGDOM HEARTS panel — an hour marking the series’ 25th anniversary in 2027 — runs at 4.30pm Pacific on 15 August, which is 7.30am on Sunday 16 August in Singapore. Kingdom Hearts IV co-director Tai Yasue is on the panel alongside Osment, Gallagher, Disney & Pixar Games’ Nana Gadd and Disney Character Voices’ Renée Johnson.

It streams on the official Kingdom Hearts and Disney YouTube channels plus The Game Awards’ YouTube and Twitch. The catch, per Square Enix: there is no VOD afterwards. If you want to see it, you are setting an alarm for a Sunday morning.

Catching up before 2027

Late 2027 is a long wait, and the back catalogue is unusually cheap right now. At the time of writing, the Singapore Steam store has Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX at S$19.23 (down from S$64.10), and both Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind and HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue at S$24.03 (down from S$80.10) — all 70% off. That is roughly S$67 for the whole run-up to Kingdom Hearts IV, which is a far friendlier entry point than the series’ reputation for convoluted spin-offs suggests.

We will have more as the D23 panel airs. In the meantime, there is plenty more in game news and manga and anime on the blog.

Kingdom Hearts 4 Gets a Late 2027 Window — Coco World Revealed and KH Anime Coming to Disney+

Square Enix dropped its biggest Kingdom Hearts news in four years at D23 in Anaheim overnight: Kingdom Hearts 4 has a late 2027 release window, its first confirmed Disney world is Pixar’s Coco, and a brand new Kingdom Hearts anime series is heading to Disney+ and Disney Channel. Following this morning’s Kingdom Hearts 25th anniversary deep-dive preview, here is everything revealed at the Disney Entertainment Showcase.

Kingdom Hearts 4 – Official Coco Showcase Trailer | D23 2026 — via IGN on YouTube

Sora Steps Into the Land of the Dead

Sora performing in the Coco world with music notes and light swirling around him in Kingdom Hearts 4
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Land of the Dead is Kingdom Hearts 4’s first confirmed Disney world, and in a notable first for the franchise, the trailer establishes that this world follows the plot of the 2017 Pixar film rather than telling a separate side story. Papa Hector opens the sequence by explaining the concept of The Final Death to Miguel: those forgotten by the living eventually fade from existence entirely in the afterlife. Miguel is then shown performing for a crowd as Heartless materialise around him, and Sora arrives to deal with them.

Sora appears dressed in Día de los Muertos face paint and Coco-appropriate clothing, blending naturally into the world’s visual language. The Land of the Dead is rendered in vivid, layered detail — the city’s tiered architecture lit up in gold and violet across the cable car sequences — making it one of the most visually striking worlds the series has ever shown.

The Guitar Keyblade and a Fight Alongside Papa Hector

Sora wielding the guitar-shaped sugar skull Keyblade in the Coco world, Kingdom Hearts 4
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Each world in Kingdom Hearts hands Sora a Keyblade that reflects its aesthetic. The Coco world’s version takes the form of a guitar decorated with sugar skull motifs, marigold flowers and warm-toned light — immediately one of the most striking Keyblade designs in the series’ history. The trailer shows Sora fighting alongside Papa Hector, confirming the skeleton musician as a party ally.

The trailer also shows Strelitzia and Sigurd — characters from the mobile game Kingdom Hearts Union χ — appearing in Quadratum alongside Sora. Their presence is a clear signal that the Union χ storyline threads are being woven into the main game, which will matter enormously to fans who stuck with that game through its ending.

Mickey, Donald and Goofy Are Searching — Through Hades

On the other side of the story, King Mickey, Donald Duck and Goofy are shown visiting what appears to be the underworld from Hercules. Dialogue from Hades confirms they have consulted him to track Sora’s location in Quadratum. Donald and Goofy appear as glowing outlines from Sora’s perspective, suggesting the two sides of the story connect across dimensions rather than crossing over directly — a neat way to reintroduce the classic trio without pulling Sora out of Quadratum.

Taken together, the trailer does a great deal in under 90 seconds: new world, Coco-specific Keyblade, returning friends, and enough Union χ fan service to reward players who completed the mobile game’s storyline.

Kingdom Hearts: The Series — On Disney+ Singapore

Kingdom Hearts: The Series key art showing an original character wielding a Keyblade, coming to Disney Channel and Disney+
Image courtesy of Square Enix / Disney

Beyond the game, Disney announced Kingdom Hearts: The Series — an original anime following a new character (not Sora) set within the Kingdom Hearts universe. It will air on Disney Channel and stream on Disney+, meaning Disney+ Singapore subscribers will have access once it launches. No specific date was given, with the announcement card simply reading “Coming Soon.”

Ayo Davis, president of Disney Kids & Family, stated the project is designed to “expand on the universe of Kingdom Hearts while celebrating the characters that have captured the hearts of millions of fans.” Kingdom Hearts series director Tetsuya Nomura is confirmed to be working closely with the creative team at Square Enix on the production.

Late 2027 on Switch 2, PS5, Xbox Series X and PC

Kingdom Hearts 4 logo — Disney and Square Enix
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Kingdom Hearts 4 is confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch 2, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store — all platforms simultaneously, with a “late 2027” window. For Switch 2 owners in Singapore, that simultaneous release is the key detail: there is no longer any ambiguity about a Switch version. As we covered earlier today, the franchise recently crossed the one-billion-dollar revenue milestone, giving Square Enix considerable commercial momentum going into this launch.

No specific date or price has been announced. Follow our Game News section for any further Kingdom Hearts updates from D23 or Gamescom later this month.

Kingdom Hearts Is Now a Billion-Dollar Franchise — Watch the D23 Deep Dive Tonight

Disney has officially confirmed what longtime fans have suspected for years: Kingdom Hearts is a billion-dollar franchise. The announcement landed this week ahead of a dedicated D23 Deep Dive panel streaming tonight — and Singapore fans can catch it live on Sunday morning.

Kingdom Hearts Hits the Billion-Dollar Mark

Disney Games portfolio including Kingdom Hearts, Marvel Games, Lucasfilm Games
Image courtesy of Square Enix / Disney

Sean Shoptaw, Executive Vice President of Global Games and Digital Entertainment at Disney, revealed in an official blog post that the company’s games division now spans nine franchises that have each cleared $1 billion in retail revenue. Kingdom Hearts is one of them — sitting in the Disney & Pixar Games label alongside Marvel Strike Force and titles from Lucasfilm Games and 20th Century Games.

Shoptaw noted that “games have become such an important part of the broader Disney landscape” and are increasingly “the first place audiences discover Disney’s characters and worlds.” Disney Games as a whole drove an estimated $3.5 billion in annual consumer spending in recent years, surpassing $4 billion in the most recent fiscal year. It’s a remarkable figure for a series that began as an unlikely crossover between Square Enix’s Final Fantasy DNA and Disney’s beloved animated worlds back in 2002.

Kingdom Hearts IV — Sora in combat in Quadratum
Image courtesy of Square Enix / Disney

Watch the D23 Deep Dive Live — Sunday Morning SGT

The timing of the billion-dollar reveal is no accident. Disney is hosting a “Deep Dive Into Kingdom Hearts” panel at its D23 fan event in Anaheim today, August 15, at 4:30 PM PT — that’s 7:30 AM SGT on Sunday, 16 August. The hour-long session will be livestreamed on the official Kingdom Hearts YouTube channel and the Disney YouTube channel, so Singapore fans can set an alarm and tune in from the couch.

DEEP DIVE Into KINGDOM HEARTS | D23: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event — via KINGDOM HEARTS on YouTube

Note: the panel may not be saved as a VOD after the stream, so watch live if you can. If it is archived, we’ll update this post.

What to Expect From the Panel

Kingdom Hearts IV — Sora battles a large Heartless in an urban street
Image courtesy of Square Enix / Disney

The panel commemorates the series’ 25th anniversary (the actual milestone falls in 2027) and is confirmed to feature a behind-the-scenes look at how the games come together. Panellists include:

  • Nana Gadd — Disney & Pixar Games
  • Tai Yasue — co-director at Square Enix
  • Haley Joel Osment — voice of Sora (and Vanitas)
  • David Gallagher — voice of Riku
  • Renée Johnson — Disney character voices

Disney has not confirmed outright that Kingdom Hearts IV will appear, but with Tai Yasue on stage, the series co-director in tow, and the franchise’s biggest financial milestone as backdrop, anticipation among fans is understandably high. Speculation is running hot on whether a new KH4 trailer — possibly showing English voice acting and the first confirmed Disney worlds — could drop during the stream.

The Switch 2 Collection Is Still on Track for October

Kingdom Hearts IV official logo
Image courtesy of Square Enix / Disney

For Singapore fans who haven’t played the older entries, good news: the Kingdom Hearts Collection [I~III] — covering HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX, HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue, and Kingdom Hearts III + Re Mind — is still confirmed for Nintendo Switch 2 on 8 October 2026, alongside PS5 and Xbox Series X|S releases. As we covered when the collection was confirmed for Switch 2, the original Switch versions will run via cloud streaming. This is the complete, native way to get the full saga on Nintendo hardware before KH4 arrives.

Set that alarm for Sunday morning. If anything big drops from the D23 stage, we’ll have the breakdown up shortly after. Check in on our game news section for the follow-up.

Final Fantasy Resonance: Vision Trailers and Extended Gameplay Out Now

Square Enix dropped a wave of new Final Fantasy Resonance material overnight: official Vision spotlight trailers for Cloud Strife, Shantotto, and Warrior of Light, alongside a 16-minute extended gameplay showcase published by IGN that gives the clearest look yet at the HD-2D combat system — including a full boss encounter against Shiva and Squall Leonhart deployed as a summoned Vision, as Push Square reports. With 22 October 2026 closing in, this is clearly the start of the game’s pre-launch push.

The Vision System — Classic FF Heroes Alongside a New Cast

If you missed the July Pixel Trailer, the short version: as we covered at the time, Final Fantasy Resonance is built around the Vision system — crystallised essences of legendary FF heroes that party members equip for stat boosts, unique abilities, and high-damage Resonance finisher moves triggered when the gauge fills in combat. The confirmed Vision roster spans most of the series’ history: Cecil Harvey (FFIV), Bartz Klauser (FFV), Squall Leonhart (FFVIII), Zidane Tribal (FFIX), Cloud Strife (FFVII), Terra Branford (FFVI), Tidus (FFX), Y’shtola (FFXIV), and Shantotto (FFXI), among others. Yesterday’s spotlight trailers are the first dedicated showcase videos for three of those confirmed characters.

Final Fantasy Resonance official key art showing the HD-2D world and cast
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Cloud Strife Vision Spotlight

Cloud’s Vision spotlight is the most-anticipated of the three. The official trailer walks through his in-combat abilities and closes with his full Resonance finisher sequence — the high-damage move that triggers when the gauge is full and party positioning allows for a combined attack with the active character. For FFVII fans, the moment that finisher lands in HD-2D pixel style will land hard.

Cloud Strife Vision spotlight — Final Fantasy Resonance
Image courtesy of Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE | Vision – Cloud — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

Shantotto Vision Spotlight

Shantotto — the black mage from Final Fantasy XI who has appeared in more FF crossovers and guest spots than almost any other character in the series — gets her official Resonance showcase. Her kit in the game is magic-focused, as you would expect, and seeing her HD-2D pixel model cast through her moveset is a particular treat for FFXI veterans. The Vision system’s core pitch — legendary heroes from across the whole series sharing a battle screen — comes through clearly here: Shantotto alongside characters from games made decades before and after FFXI, and it works.

Shantotto Vision spotlight — Final Fantasy Resonance
Image courtesy of Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE | Vision – Shantotto — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

Warrior of Light — The Original Hero Joins the Roster

The third Vision spotlight confirms Warrior of Light — the armoured protagonist of the original 1987 Final Fantasy — as a fully showcased Vision in Resonance. This is the most newsworthy of the three trailers: Cloud and Shantotto have been in the confirmed roster since the game’s initial reveal, but Warrior of Light had not previously been shown in gameplay detail. Seeing the knight who started it all in 1987 fighting alongside characters from games made nearly four decades later is exactly the kind of cross-era moment the Vision system was designed to deliver.

Warrior of Light Vision spotlight — Final Fantasy Resonance
Image courtesy of Square Enix
FINAL FANTASY RESONANCE | Vision – Warrior of Light — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

Sixteen Minutes of Gameplay: Shiva Boss Battle and Squall Summon

The Vision trailers are a treat, but the more immediately useful content for players trying to gauge how the game actually feels is the IGN-exclusive extended gameplay showcase. The 16-minute video includes a full boss encounter against Shiva — the ice summon rendered in HD-2D with storm-scale visual effects that push the engine noticeably harder than the field combat footage seen so far — and a sequence where Squall Leonhart is deployed as a summoned Vision mid-fight. Squall’s confirmed Vision mechanic rewards consecutive standard attacks before using abilities, and watching that build play out against a boss encounter gives a clearer sense of the damage ceiling than the shorter gameplay clips have.

Final Fantasy Resonance HD-2D combat screenshot showing the game's visual style
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Final Fantasy Resonance in Singapore — October 22 on Every Major Platform

Final Fantasy Resonance launches on 22 October 2026 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Nintendo Switch, and PC (Steam) — every major platform available to Singapore players. Developed by Lancarse and published by Square Enix, this is the first mainline Final Fantasy built from the ground up in HD-2D, the pixel-art style pioneered in Octopath Traveler and Triangle Strategy. If you have been on the fence since the announcement, the extended gameplay footage now available makes the combat and the art direction easier to judge. SGD pricing for the Singapore PlayStation Store has not been confirmed; check the Singapore PS Store directly once pre-orders open. More game news on GameTrader.

FF7 Ever Crisis Chapter 12 Brings Holy — and a Bridge to FF7 Revelation

Final Fantasy VII Ever Crisis is spending its final months telling the story it always promised — and Chapter 12, “Battle for the Planet,” is the penultimate piece. It drops on 13 August 2026 at 10 AM SGT (12 August at 7 PM PDT), bringing Cloud’s party face-to-face with Bugenhagen and the terrible secret of Holy, as the game counts down to its October 6 closure.

What Happens in Chapter 12 — Battle for the Planet

Square Enix is keeping exact plot details close to the chest, but the chapter’s name and premise come straight from the original FFVII’s endgame. Cloud’s group re-encounters Bugenhagen, the eccentric sage of Cosmo Canyon, who imparts the truth about Holy — the White Materia that Aerith spent the entire game protecting — while Shinra moves to deploy its Mako ray in a last-ditch attempt to stop Meteor without relying on Holy at all.

Cloud wielding the Buster Sword in FF7 Ever Crisis
Image courtesy of Square Enix

For anyone who played the original PlayStation game, these are among the most emotionally charged scenes in JRPG history. Ever Crisis has been retelling the full FFVII story in its signature clean-lined art style, and the Before Crisis chapters running alongside it — tracking the Turks’ backstory — have filled in lore that long-time fans have wanted for decades. Chapter 12 is where all of that converges.

FINAL FANTASY VII EVER CRISIS|FINAL FANTASY VII CHAPTER 12 Battle for the Planet — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

The Final Stretch — One More Chapter After This

Chapter 12 is the second-to-last. Square Enix has confirmed that Chapter 13 — the true finale — will arrive in September 2026, before Ever Crisis shuts down its servers at 14:00 SGT on 6 October 2026. Red Crystal sales were already suspended back in July, so the game is fully free to play through its final weeks. That means Singapore players can jump in and experience the full story run-up at no cost, right from where the original FFVII left off.

Cloud and Sephiroth face each other across the Buster Sword in FF7 Ever Crisis
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The game is available on iOS, Android, and PC via Steam. Progress carries across platforms, so if you started on mobile and want to finish the story on a bigger screen (or vice versa), you can do both. Check out other game news and updates for more on what’s coming to Singapore this month.

Why This Matters for FF7 Revelation

Ever Crisis was always designed as more than a gacha — it is Square Enix’s living Cliff Notes for the entire FFVII timeline, bridging the original game, the Remake trilogy, Crisis Core, and Before Crisis into one continuity. Chapter 12 covers the precise story territory that leads directly into Final Fantasy VII Revelation, the third and final Remake instalment targeting Spring 2027 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Nintendo Switch 2.

The timing is pointed: as we covered last week, Square Enix will bring a fresh look at FF7 Revelation to Gamescom Opening Night Live on 25 August, presented by game director Naoki Hamaguchi. Running Ever Crisis Chapter 12 now — two weeks before that showcase — feels deliberate, a way to prime the fanbase on Holy and the Planet storyline right before Revelation’s new footage drops. For Singapore fans watching the ONL stream, having the Ever Crisis chapters fresh in mind may make the Revelation reveal land that much harder.

FFXIV Moonfire Faire 2026: How to Get the Inflatable Mograft Mount

FFXIV’s annual summer festival is back — Moonfire Faire 2026 runs from Tuesday, 12 August to Wednesday, 26 August, and this year’s headline reward is one of the game’s most adorable mounts yet: the Inflatable Mograft, a giant Moogle-shaped pool float you can actually ride. Here is everything you need to know before the event goes live.

What Is FFXIV Moonfire Faire 2026?

Moonfire Faire is FFXIV’s recurring summer seasonal event, set at the sun-soaked shores of Costa del Sol in La Noscea. This year’s theme is “Summer Blues? Ride a Pleasure Cruise!” — a celebration of beach life and water activities, with limited-time rewards you can only earn during the event window. Miss it and you’ll need to wait for items to appear on the FFXIV Online Store after the event closes.

Moonfire Faire 2026 Start Date, End Date, and Access Requirements

The event runs from 12 August 2026 (Tuesday) through 26 August 2026 (Wednesday). For Singapore players it launches in the early morning of 12 August SGT and wraps up on the evening of 26 August SGT.

You need a character of at least Level 30 to participate. Free Trial players on any platform — including the newly launched Switch 2 version — can access Moonfire Faire as long as they have met that level threshold. Note that free trial accounts have some restrictions on group content and in-game chat, but the seasonal quests themselves should be accessible.

How to Start the Moonfire Faire 2026 Quests

Head to Limsa Lominsa Upper Decks and find a Lalafell NPC called Mayaru Moyaru at coordinates X:11.5, Y:13.8. She hands out the first quest, “Earning Your Water Wings”, which takes around 30 minutes to clear. A second quest, “Whoever Floats Your Raft”, becomes available once you’ve finished the first. Both are short narrative quests with no gear or combat wall beyond the level requirement.

All Moonfire Faire 2026 Rewards

This year’s limited-time haul includes a new mount and a full set of summer furnishings:

  • Inflatable Mograft (Mount) — the standout new reward, a giant Moogle-shaped inflatable raft
  • Lawn Mograft (Outdoor furnishing)
  • Lawn Chocobo Raft (Outdoor furnishing)
  • Lawn Bomb Raft (Outdoor furnishing)
  • Moonfire Faire MMXXV Advertisement (Wall-mounted decoration)
  • Moonfire Faire MMXVII Advertisement (Wall-mounted decoration)
  • Tabletop Moonfire Faire MMXXV Advertisement (Tabletop decoration)
FFXIV Moonfire Faire 2026 rewards: Inflatable Mograft mount, seasonal lawn furnishings, and wall decorations
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Past glamours and emotes from previous Moonfire Faire events are not available from the in-event vendor — those items are sold separately on the FFXIV Online Store after the event ends.

The Inflatable Mograft — the new mount reward from FFXIV Moonfire Faire 2026
Image courtesy of Square Enix

What Switch 2 Players Need to Know

FFXIV launched on Nintendo Switch 2 on 4 August 2026, meaning Moonfire Faire 2026 is the first FFXIV seasonal event playable on Switch 2. If you have been holding off on picking up the game on Switch 2, timing is in your favour: Square Enix has the Complete Edition 30% off on the Nintendo eShop until 13 August 2026 — one day after the event starts, so you can dive straight into the summer festivities.

A few Switch 2-specific points:

  • A Nintendo Switch Online subscription is not required — FFXIV uses its own subscription, paid via FFXIV Coins on the eShop
  • Players who already subscribe on PC or PS5 get the Switch 2 subscription at 50% off
  • The Free Trial is available on Switch 2 and covers all content through Shadowbringers, with no time limit

Full event details are on the official FFXIV Lodestone Moonfire Faire page. For more game news and guides, keep checking GameTrader.SG.

Final Fantasy VII Revelation Confirmed for Gamescom ONL — New Gameplay Coming 25 August

Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy VII Revelation will appear at Gamescom Opening Night Live on 25 August 2026 — and new gameplay is on the way. Director Naoki Hamaguchi is expected on stage in Cologne, putting the trilogy's finale back in the spotlight ahead of its Spring 2027 launch.

FINAL FANTASY VII REVELATION – Reveal Trailer — via FINAL FANTASY on YouTube

What Square Enix Is Showing at Gamescom ONL

Gamescom Opening Night Live goes live on 25 August at 11am PDT / 7pm BST — that is 2am SGT on 26 August for Singapore fans watching along. Square Enix has not detailed exactly what the new footage will cover, but with the game less than a year from launch, the timing is right for a substantive look: areas, party members, combat mechanics, or story beats beyond what the June 2026 Summer Game Fest reveal showed. Hamaguchi's previous showcase appearances — at both the Remake and Rebirth reveals — consistently delivered meaningful new information rather than re-cut trailers.

Characters parachute from the Highwind airship over a lush coastal landscape in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Highwind, Parachute Drops, and the Biggest World in the Trilogy

Final Fantasy VII Revelation picks up directly after Rebirth, following Cloud and the party as they head for the Northern Crater to stop Sephiroth before Meteor strikes the Planet. Square Enix describes it as the most expansive environment in the Remake series: the iconic Highwind airship is fully controllable this time around, and players can deploy from it via parachute to land anywhere on the map — a series first. Official screenshots already show coastal cliffs, open ocean, island chains, and dense jungle, with submarine traversal also confirmed.

A towering creature emerges from the ocean near an industrial platform in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Cid, Vincent, Wutai, and the FITS System

The full original-game roster is playable for the first time in the Remake series, with Cid Highwind and Vincent Valentine now confirmed as party members. Locations include the ninja nation of Wutai — teased since Remake and finally arriving in full — alongside Mideel, the Midgar outskirts, and more.

Combat expands on Rebirth's action-RPG framework with the new FITS (Function Integrated Tactical Suitwear) system, which lets each character equip special gear inspired by classic Final Fantasy job classes, adding a new customisation layer on top of the familiar Materia setup. A "Wait Mode" slows combat during action selection, giving players more breathing room when managing a full party.

A character swings a massive buster sword against a large plant creature in jungle combat in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Spring 2027 Release — PS5, Switch 2, and PC

Final Fantasy VII Revelation is targeting a simultaneous worldwide launch in Spring 2027 on PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store — the first entry in the Remake trilogy to arrive on Switch hardware from day one. SGD pricing has not yet been announced; watch for local details from major game retailers and electronics chains closer to release.

The Highwind airship flies low over a turquoise ocean in Final Fantasy VII Revelation
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Gamescom ONL stream is free to watch on YouTube and Twitch. Singapore fans, set your alarm for 2am SGT on 26 August — or catch the replay the following morning. For more on game news including the latest PS5 and Switch 2 releases, stay tuned to GameTrader.SG.

FFXIV Is Now Live on Switch 2 — Free Trial Out, 30% Off Until 13 August

Final Fantasy XIV is officially playable on Nintendo Switch 2. Square Enix launched all four editions on 4 August 2026, and the Free Trial dropped alongside them — meaning you can jump into Eorzea on a Switch 2 right now at zero cost. If you have been sitting on the fence, there is also a time-sensitive reason to act: both Complete Editions are 30% off on the Nintendo eShop until Thursday, 13 August.

FFXIV raid party faces a massive dark boss on Nintendo Switch 2
Image courtesy of Square Enix

What the Free Trial Covers

The Switch 2 Free Trial mirrors what PC and PlayStation players have enjoyed for years: A Realm Reborn plus the first expansion, Heavensward, with a level cap of 60 and no time limit on how long you play. That is roughly 100-plus hours of story content, all fourteen job archetypes to experiment with, and full access to dungeons and trials included in those expansions — with no credit card required.

For Singapore players who have wanted to see what the fuss is about without spending anything, the Switch 2 version is as good an entry point as any. Singapore sits in the Asia data centre region (Elemental Data Centre), which consistently gives local players excellent latency whether they are at home on fibre or hopping on a MRT commute in handheld mode.

FINAL FANTASY XIV – Gameplay Trailer – Nintendo Switch 2 — via Nintendo of America on YouTube

Editions and the Sale Window

Four product options are available on the Nintendo eShop right now:

  • Free Trial — A Realm Reborn + Heavensward, Level 60 cap, no subscription needed
  • Starter Edition — Adds a subscription-ready base game (A Realm Reborn through Shadowbringers)
  • Complete Edition — Everything through the current Dawntrail expansion, 30% off until 13 August
  • Complete Collector’s Edition — All collector’s items across every expansion, also 30% off until 13 August

The discount applies only to the two Complete Editions and runs until 13 August. We covered the full edition breakdown and 117 GB download size before launch — the TLDR for SG players on home fibre: with average speeds well above 500 Mbps, the download typically takes under an hour.

FFXIV characters riding Chocobo and sheep mounts above a fantasy city on Switch 2
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The Subscription — What Singapore Players Need to Know

FFXIV’s subscription on Switch 2 works a little differently from what you might expect. A few key points:

  • Subscription fees are waived for approximately one month following the platform’s release, giving everyone a head start.
  • A separate Switch 2 subscription is required, even if you are already subscribed on PC or PlayStation. It is not a cross-platform licence.
  • Existing subscribers get it at half price. If you pay the standard monthly fee on another platform, you can add the Switch 2 version for 50% of that rate — so playing on both your PC and Switch 2 does not mean paying twice in full.
  • A Nintendo Switch Online membership gives you one complimentary aetheryte teleport destination at 0 gil — a small perk but handy for managing travel costs early on.

The free month of play starts when you first activate the game, so there is no rush to log in on day one — though the Yo-kai Watch event running alongside the launch is worth catching sooner rather than later.

FFXIV party battles a massive green deity boss in an ornate arena on Switch 2
Image courtesy of Square Enix

Playing on the Go in Singapore

The Switch 2 version supports handheld, tabletop, and docked modes. Raid and trial content is fully playable in all modes, though a stable Wi-Fi connection is still recommended for multiplayer content — the Nintendo Online app can supplement with voice chat for coordination. Singapore’s widespread fibre and 5G coverage makes the Switch 2 a genuinely viable way to join Free Companies and run daily roulettes during lunch, on the bus, or wherever life takes you.

A lone FFXIV warrior faces a glowing ice crystal wall in a dark cave on Switch 2
Image courtesy of Square Enix

The free trial is available on the Nintendo eShop now. For more on the Singapore gaming landscape, check our Game News archive.

Creator Pulls Yang Can’t Live Alone from Manga UP! — Series Ends 13 August

Romance manga Yang Can’t Live Alone is leaving Manga UP! for good. Creator sooncha announced this week that the series will end on Square Enix’s global digital manga platform with the publication of Chapter 15 Part 3 on 13 August 2026 — cutting the story short before any planned conclusion — after what the creator describes as a complete breakdown in their working relationship with the publisher.

What Happened Between sooncha and Square Enix

In a statement to readers, as reported by Animehunch, sooncha was direct: “This time, due to the breakdown of our relationship of trust with Manga UP!, Yang Senpai will end.” The creator did not elaborate on the specific nature of the editorial dispute, and Square Enix has not issued a public response. What is clear is that sooncha is no longer willing to continue the series under Square Enix’s banner — and is now actively negotiating with the editorial department to reclaim the copyright so the story can potentially continue elsewhere.

This kind of public fallout between a manga creator and a major publisher is uncommon but not unheard of, and it raises real questions about the working conditions for creators on newer digital-first platforms like Manga UP!.

Yang Can't Live Alone Volume 1 cover by sooncha
Image courtesy of Square Enix Manga

About Yang Can’t Live Alone

Serialised on Manga UP! since December 2024, Yang Can’t Live Alone (Japanese title: Yang-senpai wa Hitori de Ikiteikenai) is a college-set romance manga by debut creator sooncha. The story follows Yuu, a serious and self-sufficient university student, whose routine is upended when Yang — an outgoing, puppy-like Chinese exchange student who seems to need a guardian just to get through the week — wanders into her life and asks her to be his bodyguard.

The English-language edition launched on Manga UP! Global and had been building a quiet but steady readership. Two compiled volumes are currently available in print through Square Enix Manga, with a third due on 6 August 2026.

Yang Can't Live Alone Volume 2 cover by sooncha
Image courtesy of Square Enix Manga

What Readers Need to Know Right Now

If you have been following the manga on Manga UP!, here is where things stand:

  • Serialisation ends 13 August — Chapter 15 Part 3 will be the final chapter on the platform.
  • Volume 3 still ships 6 August — Print publication is proceeding as planned. sooncha noted that production was too far along to halt, and advised readers who are uncomfortable with the situation to cancel their preorders if they choose to.
  • Rights situation is unresolved — The creator is in active talks to reclaim the copyright. If successful, the story could resume on a different platform or under a different publisher down the line. Follow sooncha’s official channels for updates.

For fans in Singapore who read the series digitally through Manga UP! Global, chapters will remain accessible until serialisation closes — but no new content will follow Chapter 15 Part 3 on that platform. Whether the story finds a new home is entirely contingent on how the rights negotiation plays out.

If you have been meaning to start Yang Can’t Live Alone, now is the time to catch up — and to keep an eye on sooncha’s official channels for any announcement about continuation. For more manga and anime news, head to our Manga Anime section.