Final Fantasy 7 Revelation: Director Fights for the Disc – and Still Sees a Digital Future

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Final Fantasy 7 Revelation: Director Fights for the Disc – and Still Sees a Digital Future.

If Sony phases out physical media production for PlayStation by 2028, major franchises could be hit as well – and the concern in the community is correspondingly high. Titles like Grand Theft Auto VI are already set to launch without a disc under current plans, and many fans are wondering which franchises will follow.

One answer is now coming from Square Enix. Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, scheduled to hit the market on April 8, 2027, will be released on disc according to director Naoki Hamaguchi – going against the trend the industry is currently pursuing.

And Hamaguchi himself had to personally push, by his own account, to make sure the role-playing game still gets a physical release at all. We've gathered the background and his take on the future for you.

What did Hamaguchi say about the disc release?

Director Naoki Hamaguchi confirmed in a recent statement that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will be released on disc. At the same time, he makes clear that this decision was not a given: he had to personally advocate, by his own account, for the game to come out physically.

With that, Hamaguchi is taking a clear stand against Sony's current trend of publishing more and more titles as digital-only. For fans who wanted a disc version for their collection, this is an important reassurance – at least for this one title.

How does the director see the future of physical games?

Despite his push for FF7 Revelation, Hamaguchi views the coming years with clear eyes. In his assessment, the future will be disc-less – he sees the physical release of the next Final Fantasy installment as more of an exception than the rule.

This assessment lines up with the plans Sony recently communicated: physical media production for PlayStation is set to wind down by 2028. Larger titles like GTA VI are also expected to launch without a disc, which has drawn criticism from many players.

What does this mean for the community?

For collectors and fans of physical versions, the confirmation about Revelation is a positive signal – but no reason for a broader all-clear. If Sony's plans go through, disc releases for major PS5 titles will increasingly become the exception by 2028.

Square Enix has set an initial marker with the decision for FF7 Revelation. Whether other major publishers follow this example or whether the disc-less trend continues unbroken remains to be seen in the coming months. Hamaguchi's clear commitment to the disc version gives the community at least one voice from the developer side advocating for physical media.