Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth Will Include a ‘New Episode With Zack’ [IGN]

Zack Fair fans, do we have some good news for you. Not only do we know that the smooth-talking hero of Final Fantasy: Crisis Core will appear in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth – but it looks like he’s getting an entire episode all for himself.

We learned this in our recent interview with Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth producer Yoshinori Kitase, in which he talked briefly about some of the differences between Rebirth and the corresponding segment of the original Final Fantasy 7. Kitase said that the order of certain events in the storyline of Rebirth might differ from the original, and the order in which characters join the party has been “reimagined.” But largely, Rebirth tells the story of Final Fantasy 7 from the end of Remake up to the Forgotten Capital sequence.

But also…it seems like it adds a bit more – involving Zack specifically.

“Furthermore, as you know, within the original Final Fantasy 7, the character Zack Fair is one that doesn’t appear as much in the original title,” he said. “However, we see at the end of Remake that he has appeared, which, you know, is quite a difference from the original title. And as for Rebirth, there will be a new episode with Zach, that will contain even more of him than the Remake. I’m not able to say much more than this as I would like for players to play and experience this with it in their own hands.”

That’s all they’re saying for now on Zack’s role, which seems to be somehow tied into some of the mysterious plot shenanigans in Remake involving the “Whispers of Fate.” Zack got a glow-up not too long ago with the release of Crisis Core – Final Fantasy 7 – Reunion, which is a remaster of the original Crisis Core. Crisis Core serves as a prequel to Final Fantasy 7 and stars Zack, who interacts with characters like Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth before their roles in 7.

We recently saw a major new teaser for Rebirth at a Sony State of Play, where we got a look at Cait Sith, the Gold Saucer, Vincent, and a lot more. We also learned that it will feature 100 hours of content, possibly including one very specific scene fans are “dying” to see. Rebirth is currently planned for a February 29, 2024 release date as a PS5-exclusive, and won’t hit other platforms until at least three months later.

We also talked to Kitase and creative director Tetsuya Nomura about the appearance of Vincent Valentine in Rebirth, as well as how chocobos will work. You can catch up on the full interview right here, as well as our preview of the game here.

Rebekah Valentine is a senior reporter for IGN. Got a story tip? Send it to rvalentine@ign.com.

Additional reporting by Bo Moore.