Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will offer an auto-leveling option, allowing players to raise their characters to the recommended levels required to progress the main story without repetitive grinding. This design, intended to help players focus on the narrative, has sparked debate among the player community since its announcement.
During Tokyo Game Show 2026, Game Director Naoki Hamaguchi introduced this feature. He stated that the team had previously received feedback from players who, having not played through extensive side content, found their character levels insufficient for main story battles. These players struggled in main quests but were unwilling to level up by completing side missions.
The auto-leveling feature is designed precisely for such situations. Players who wish to quickly view the main story can use it to skip the leveling grind, while those who enjoy exploring, battling, and gradually developing their characters can still play in the traditional way. However, some players argue that leveling up, exploration, and overcoming difficulties are integral parts of the RPG experience, and auto-leveling may further weaken the sense of challenge.
Game art practitioner TheCartelDel believes that games once taught young players patience, delayed gratification, and the value of achieving goals through effort, and that oversimplifying processes removes the need for perseverance. Other players pointed out that while providing convenience options is not inherently bad, there is still a distinction between "helping players experience" the game and directly eliminating its processes.
The scale of content in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth also places demands on guidance design. Director Naoki Hamaguchi revealed that players seeking a complete experience will need at least 100 hours to finish the game. Players can drop in from the airship Highwind, ride Chocobos, or explore the open world on foot.
To address potential choice fatigue in the open world, the team is balancing the needs of different players. Some desire more thorough route guidance, while others feel that excessive hints hinder autonomous exploration. Naoki Hamaguchi stated that the development team is considering allowing players to toggle these guidance features on or off.