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Naoki Hamaguchi Doubles Down on Connecting All Final Fantasy VII Spin-Offs Into Revelation’s Ending
Final Fantasy VII Revelation director Naoki Hamaguchi has reaffirmed that spin-off titles including Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core and the Advent Children film will factor into the ending of the upcoming Remake trilogy instalment. Speaking at Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival Berlin 2026, he addressed persistent fan speculation about whether the game's conclusion will tie into Advent Children, stressing that the wider FF7 universe is being woven together rather than treated as separate strands. The comments matter because they signal a significant departure from the original 1997 game's storyline, with the trilogy increasingly positioned as an overarching narrative absorbing multiple spin-off properties.
Hamaguchi declined to confirm specifics, saying only that the team wants to "bring all of those in" rather than leave any spin-offs out, and that the type of ending chosen still needs to preserve those connections. His remarks echo comments made days earlier, on 1 August, in an interview with Automaton, where he described the Remake series as a "new, overarching universe" encompassing Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core. Producer Yoshinori Kitase made similar claims back in 2023, telling Eurogamer that the story would ultimately "link up" with Advent Children as part of canon. The latest comments have reignited fan debate, with some criticising the shift away from the original plot in favour of a combined "metaverse" approach, while others remain cautiously optimistic.
In short
- Hamaguchi says FF7 Revelation's ending will connect to franchise spin-offs
- Dirge of Cerberus, Crisis Core and Advent Children all cited as ties
- Comments echo earlier remarks from Hamaguchi and producer Kitase
- Fans divided over trilogy's departure from original game's story
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The broader Final Fantasy VII universe that has developed over decades deserves recognition and integration. By weaving together Advent Children, Dirge of Cerberus and Crisis Core into the Remake's conclusion, Square Enix creates a more ambitious and rewarding experience for the entire fanbase that has invested in these narratives. This approach acknowledges that the remakes are not mere repetitions but evolutionary works that can enrich the core story whilst respecting the creative efforts and commercial investments in the wider universe.
The case against
The original 1997 game succeeded precisely because of its tightly crafted, self-contained narrative. Absorbing multiple spin-offs into the trilogy's ending risks bloating the story and diluting the emotional core that made Final Fantasy VII iconic in the first place. Players returning to experience the remake deserve to engage with the original's narrative as it was envisioned, rather than navigating a sprawling metaverse that requires knowledge of numerous supplementary titles and fragments the remake's identity.
Explained simply
Final Fantasy VII began as a 1997 role-playing game about Cloud Strife and his allies fighting the Shinra company and confronting Sephiroth. The Remake trilogy retells that story across several games, while changing or expanding parts of the original plot.
Other stories explore events and characters around the same world: Crisis Core is a prequel, Dirge of Cerberus follows Vincent Valentine after the original game, and Advent Children is a film set later. Together, these spin-offs add context to the central story.
The question is how the trilogy will relate these different works, and what that means for its ending. It matters to players because the original game had a distinct storyline, while bringing the spin-offs into one narrative could reshape how the wider series fits together.