Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade Releases Sephiroth Character Introduction Video Ahead of Switch 2 Launch

Square Enix has unveiled a new character introduction video spotlighting Sephiroth, one of gaming's most iconic villains, ahead of Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade's launch on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S. The video is designed to help newcomers understand Sephiroth's role in the story before diving into the remake.

Who is Sephiroth?

Sephiroth stands as one of the most recognizable antagonists in video game history. Before his descent into madness, he was celebrated as the greatest hero Shinra had ever produced, a legendary SOLDIER 1st Class whose exploits during the Wutai War inspired an entire generation of young men to join the military.

What few knew was the dark truth behind his extraordinary abilities. Sephiroth was the product of the Jenova Project, an experiment conducted by Professor Hojo. While still in the womb, his mother Lucrecia Crescent was injected with cells from Jenova, an extraterrestrial entity that had been excavated from a 2,000-year-old geological stratum. The cells merged with the unborn child, granting him superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes far beyond any normal SOLDIER.

Sephiroth was raised by Shinra, never knowing his true origins. He was told only that his mother's name was Jenova and that she had died giving birth to him. Armed with his signature weapon, the Masamune, a seven-foot katana that only he could wield effectively, Sephiroth became a living legend.

Everything changed during a routine mission to investigate the Nibel Reactor. There, Sephiroth discovered pods containing horrific experiments, humans mutated by exposure to Jenova cells. The sight triggered a devastating realization: he might have been created in the same manner. For six days, Sephiroth locked himself in the basement of Shinra Mansion, obsessively reading research documents about Jenova and the Cetra, an ancient race that once inhabited the Planet.

What he found broke his mind. Sephiroth came to believe that Jenova was a Cetra and that he was the last survivor of that ancient race. He concluded that humans had betrayed and abandoned his people. In his twisted logic, humanity deserved punishment. Sephiroth set Nibelheim ablaze, killing its residents, before attempting to free Jenova from the reactor. He was stopped by Cloud Strife, a young Shinra infantryman, and was presumed dead after falling into the Lifestream.

But Sephiroth's will proved too strong for even death to claim. His consciousness survived within the Lifestream, and he devised a new plan: summon Meteor to catastrophically wound the Planet, then merge with the Lifestream as it gathered to heal the injury, absorbing its power to become a god.

For more Final Fantasy news, see Final Fantasy's 38th Anniversary celebration.

Game Information

Now Coming to Switch 2 and Xbox

Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade launches on Nintendo Switch 2 and Xbox Series X|S on January 22, 2026. The game has been available on PlayStation 5 and PC via Steam and Epic Games Store, but this marks its first appearance on Nintendo and Xbox platforms.

The complete package includes two narratives: the main remake covering Cloud's escape from Midgar, plus the INTERmission episode featuring the ninja Yuffie Kisaragi. A Game Boost feature allows players to customize their difficulty, including options for permanent full HP/MP and maximum damage output for those who want to experience the story without combat challenges.

The standard edition is priced at ¥5,478, while the Digital Deluxe Edition costs ¥7,101. A free demo is available with save data that transfers to the full version. Classic JRPGs continue their resurgence, as seen with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake. Early digital purchasers who buy before January 31 will receive the original Final Fantasy VII as a bonus. Physical copies for Switch 2 include a Magic: The Gathering booster pack.