Final Fantasy XIV Teases Neon Genesis Evangelion Crossover for Evercold Expansion

What changed#

Square Enix has officially announced a collaboration between Final Fantasy XIV and the anime franchise Neon Genesis Evangelion. The upcoming crossover event is titled Ghosts of Desire and was introduced with a short teaser video featuring Japanese voice acting.

The centerpiece of this crossover is a new series of alliance raids inspired by the world of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Square Enix is developing this content with creative input from studio khara, the animation studio recognized for its work on the Rebuild of Evangelion movies.

At present, Square Enix has released only the brief teaser trailer. The developer has not yet shared specifics regarding upcoming raid encounters, which anime characters or elements will appear, or how the crossover story integrates into the world of Final Fantasy XIV. The Ghosts of Desire collaboration is planned to coincide with the release of the game’s next expansion, Evercold, which is scheduled to launch on February 23, 2027.

Why it matters#

Alliance raids are major multi-group activities in Final Fantasy XIV, and basing a complete raid series on Neon Genesis Evangelion brings a high-profile anime crossover into the game’s core endgame content. Creative collaboration with studio khara ensures that the design of the Ghosts of Desire raids aligns with the artistic direction of the Rebuild of Evangelion film project.

However, because Square Enix has kept concrete details secret, players do not yet know how deep the integration will go. It remains to be seen whether iconographic elements, specific characters, or full-scale Mecha combat mechanics will feature in the raids when Evercold arrives.

What to do next#

Players interested in the upcoming Ghosts of Desire collaboration should note the key details and timeline:

• Note the launch date: The Evercold expansion and its associated content are scheduled for release on February 23, 2027.
• Watch for official updates: Square Enix has only shared a short Japanese-voiced teaser so far. Additional reveals regarding character roster inclusions, battle mechanics, and story connections will be announced closer to the expansion.
• Prepare in-game: Alliance raids typically require players to progress through main story content and reach maximum level requirements, giving active players ample time to ready their characters before February 2027.