Hated the Grind in FF7 Rebirth? Revelation Has the Fix
Grinding is now optional. In Final Fantasy 7 Revelation, a simple pop-up can rocket Cloud and his crew straight to the recommended level. Square Enix is burying mandatory farming—boldly and unapologetically.
Naoki Hamaguchi didn’t mince words at Tokyo Game Show 2026. The director of the final chapter of the remake trilogy, set for April 8, 2027, confirmed a new feature born from frustrated Rebirth players: an automatic level boost, offered at several key points in the adventure.
Image credit: Square Enix
A magic button to skip the grind
The idea is disarmingly simple. At several key moments, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation will pop up a message: “Would you like to automatically raise your level to the recommended one?” One click, and your party jumps instantly to the suggested threshold for the current area. No digging through menus, no cryptic settings—the game brings the option right to you.
Genki shares the sentiment
— (@Genki_JPN) date
Hamaguchi’s intent couldn’t be clearer: he wants players to be able to experience Revelation as a linear game, moving from chapter to chapter without drowning in dozens of hours of optional exploration. For a title whose open world is even bigger than Rebirth, it’s a welcome safety net for those who mainly want to see how the saga ends.
Square Enix answers Rebirth players’ SOS
This feature didn’t appear out of nowhere. For months after Rebirth launched, part of the community voiced their frustration: players who focused on the main story often found themselves under-leveled, especially against late-game bosses. Skipping side quests was basically shooting yourself in the foot, turning optional content into a near-mandatory grind. Hamaguchi heard the message and is tackling it head-on with Revelation.
This shift is part of a broader trend at Square Enix, which keeps adding accessibility options to its RPGs:
- The Pixel Remasters of classic Final Fantasy games, letting you tweak XP and Gil gains on the fly
- The Switch 2 and Xbox ports of Remake and Rebirth, which include easier difficulty modes and even the ability to deal 9,999 damage per attack
Square Enix is making it clear: they want their games to be playable by everyone, including those who don’t have the time—or the patience—to grind for hours. And with two story DLCs already confirmed, the publisher knows keeping a broad audience hooked is key for what’s next.
Purists can relax: grinding is still on the table
Don’t worry, farming fans: no one’s forcing you to hit that button. Auto-leveling is 100% optional, and those who want to earn every XP point with their own Buster Sword sweat can play just like before. The side content hasn’t been cut or shrunk—it’s still massive for anyone who wants to dive in.
And there’s plenty to do. The main campaign is estimated at about 40 hours, but a completionist run will top 100 hours. Hamaguchi even said you’ll need multiple playthroughs to see everything. Auto-leveling could be a real lifesaver on your second or third run, when you want to chase alternate story paths instead of re-grinding the same zones.
By offering this choice without forcing it, Final Fantasy 7 Revelation raises a question more and more JRPGs will have to face: is grinding a core pillar of the genre, or just a relic we keep out of habit? Square Enix has made its call. Now we’ll see if other studios follow suit when the game drops next April.
