Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold – Release Date, Editions and Pre-Orders

Final Fantasy XIV: Evercold is the next expansion for Square Enix’s MMORPG, and it launches on February 23, 2027, with early access from February 19 for pre-order buyers. It is climbing the Steam charts right after pre-orders opened on November 4, 2026; you can buy it now, but you cannot play it until February.

Below is everything confirmed so far, as of November 5, 2026: dates, editions, prices, early access rules, the new jobs, and the Steam-specific details that trip people up every expansion.

Release date and the delay

Evercold was first announced at the Fan Festival 2026 keynote in Anaheim with a January 2027 window, as RPG Site reported. On October 31, at the Tokyo Fan Festival keynote, producer and director Naoki Yoshida announced that the expansion was moving to February and apologized for missing the original target, according to KeenGamer.

One note on conflicting reports: PC Gamer’s delay article cited February 2 at the time, while KeenGamer, Notebookcheck and the official product page all point to February 23. Treat February 23 as the date unless Square Enix says otherwise. Square Enix describes the early access start time as tentative, so it could shift slightly.

Platforms

Evercold is coming to Windows (direct and Steam), Mac, PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2. Early coverage from the April announcement did not always list Mac or Switch 2, but more recent reports include both. If you are buying for Switch 2 or Mac, double-check the store listing for your platform before you pay.

Editions and prices

Square Enix’s official product page lists these US prices as of early November 2026:

A few things worth knowing:

• The Collector’s Bundle is not a Steam option. It is tied to the Windows or Mac versions sold by Square Enix. Steam players who want the physical goodies buy the Collector’s Box separately and pre-order the Digital Collector’s Edition on Steam.
• Regional and store prices vary. Steam and console stores may show different local prices, so check the store page before buying.
• Registering Evercold also unlocks earlier expansions. The product page notes that it grants access to Endwalker and Dawntrail as well, which matters if you are a newer player catching up.

Pre-order bonuses

Pre-ordering gets you Halone’s Earring and early access. The earring grants a 30% EXP bonus from defeated enemies and scales its stats to your job and level; reports say the EXP bonus works up to level 100. Square Enix notes the earring may become obtainable by other means in the future, so it is not a permanent exclusive.

Coverage disagrees about the Wind-up Köttr minion: some reports list it as a bonus on every edition, others place it only with the Digital Collector’s Edition. The official product page is the place to settle this before you choose an edition. Reports also say in-game pre-order items are delivered as soon as you register the pre-order rather than at launch.

How early access works

Pre-ordering alone is not enough. According to the official page, you need all of the following before February 19:

1. Pre-order Evercold from a participating retailer or platform store.
2. Register the pre-order code to the same service account you play on.
3. Have Dawntrail registered on that account.
4. Complete the specific quests Square Enix lists for early access.

The exact quest requirements were not named in the coverage we reviewed. For Dawntrail, early access required finishing the previous expansion’s main story, so expect something similar, but confirm on the official page rather than assuming. If you are behind on the story, the next three months are your window to catch up.

Buying on Steam: avoid the classic mistake

Final Fantasy XIV ties every purchase to the platform your service account was created on. The Steam version and the standard Windows version are not interchangeable, so:

1. If you launch the game through Steam, buy Evercold on Steam.
2. If you bought the game from the Square Enix store, buy Evercold from Square Enix or a retailer selling Windows codes, not on Steam.
3. Once you have bought it on Steam, the code can be found in your Steam Library: right-click Final Fantasy XIV Online, choose Manage, then CD keys. Register it to your account through the official Square Enix account site.

Buying on the wrong platform is the most common expansion headache, so check before you click buy.

What’s in Evercold

Story and setting

Evercold continues the second saga that began with Dawntrail. Its setting is the Fourth, a reflection of the world that has fallen into ruin and is being swallowed by spreading ice.

Level cap

The level cap rises from 100 to 110, following the usual expansion pattern.

New jobs

Two new jobs have been revealed:

• Bastion (tank): Announced at the Berlin Fan Festival, Bastion fights with twin shields called the Skyltborg and uses the new Evolved Mode of the job action system, per the official press release. It starts at level 90, and its unlock quest begins in Limsa Lominsa.
• Zephyr (physical ranged DPS): Revealed at the Tokyo keynote, Zephyr combines crossbow attacks with support from a bird companion named Nephele, as Notebookcheck reports. Its starting level had not been confirmed in the sources we checked.

Post-launch content

A Neon Genesis Evangelion collaboration has been announced as a new 24-player Alliance Raid series, arriving in patches after launch rather than on day one.

Should you pre-order now?

There is no rush to pre-order today unless you want Halone’s Earring for leveling alts or want to lock in your edition. Early access only requires a pre-order before it starts, so you can wait for more previews closer to February. If you do buy now, make sure you pick the right platform and edition, and spend the time finishing Dawntrail’s story so you qualify for early access.

PC players who want to prepare their hardware should also watch for updated system requirements. Square Enix usually publishes them, along with a benchmark tool, before each expansion. We have not seen Evercold’s requirements confirmed as of November 5, 2026.