'I Gave It My All' — Final Fantasy 7 Revelation Director Addresses Fans Demanding a Complete Disc Release

Naoki Hamaguchi, director of Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, has spoken out about his efforts to secure a disc release for the game, even as the industry moves toward a "future where physical media is essentially disc-less."

In an interview with Radio Times, the lead developer behind next year's remake chapter discussed the current state of gaming. While he's touched on this topic before, this time he explained how his personal appreciation for physical media drove him to advocate for at least one disc for Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, despite the industry's rapid shift toward an all-digital future.

"Personally, I bought lots of physical editions of games as a child," Hamaguchi said. "Sometimes I buy digital editions, but if I'm particularly attached to a title, I want the physical version." He noted that the topic of a fully digital future has become "particularly sensitive" in recent months. "Being in the industry, sometimes I want to get my friends or acquaintances who've worked on something to sign a copy of their own game."

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation is confirmed to have a disc option when it launches in 2027, but with caveats. Physical owners on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, for instance, will need to download additional content—and a substantial amount at that—to access the full experience. This decision has divided some fans, but it wasn't made lightly by Hamaguchi and the team at Square Enix.

"I do really like and appreciate physical media," he said. "I see a lot of people on social media saying, 'No disc, no purchase,' and I understand where they're coming from."

Hamaguchi acknowledged that Final Fantasy 7 Revelation does offer a disc alternative for those who want it, even if it's just a "key disc" containing only "the opening." He added that he understands "there are people out there with a lot of opinions" about the future of physical media and shared a message for those who feel most passionately about the issue.

"First of all, I've got people saying to me on social media, 'Give us a full disc version!' And so, from an overall perspective, let me first say that as the director, it's my responsibility to look after the content of the game to make sure it's fun, really exciting," he said. Then, smiling, he added, "The product line-up, the SKUs (stock keeping units), how it's going on sale; that is the responsibility of the publishing team. So, my authority there is somewhat limited."

Despite the "pressure" for disc-less and digital editions, Hamaguchi said he "used my position to put forth an argument for the physical version as much as possible." That led to negotiations "both internally and with first parties," resulting in Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's one-disc strategy. He added, "I completely understand there are those out there who may not really agree with that direction or approve of that direction," but it's what he fought for, and it's the best result he could achieve.

"I completely understand there are those out there who may not really agree with that direction or approve of that direction," he said. "But I would just say that I hope you understand that I completely see where you're coming from, and that I did my best."

He added with a laugh, "It is a very tricky subject."

Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will release with a disc when it launches for PC, Nintendo Switch 2, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on April 8, 2027. Although its launch strategy hasn't pleased everyone, it's a date that will see it arrive months before PlayStation phases out physical releases for new PS5 games. Even after Rockstar signaled changing times when it announced a disc-less release for Grand Theft Auto 6, Sony's decision sent shockwaves through the industry.

Gaming fans have expected an all-digital future to arrive at some point, but it seems to be here sooner than most expected. Elsewhere in the interview, Hamaguchi said he thinks "physical media will remain in some form going forward," but it's impossible to deny that change is coming.

"But the PC market, for example, is going from strength to strength, and lots of people already purchase digital copies of games and just download them.

"So, I can see a world in the not-too-distant future where physical media is essentially disc-less. You would have a copy of the code on a piece of paper inside the physical box or something like that."

For more on why the Square Enix team chose to approach Final Fantasy 7 Revelation's physical release the way it did, you can see Hamaguchi's explanation here. You can also read more about the director's love for physical media.