Final Fantasy XVI: Everything We Know About the Next Installment

Earlier in 2021, Square hinted at its intentions to release Final Fantasy XVI and make it exclusive to PlayStation. The move left gamers around the globe eagerly awaiting more information as the franchise continues to reign as one of the most popular video game series. The Final Fantasy series remains one of the most popular and highest-grossing video games franchises- selling over 150 million units and grossing over $13 billion in revenue. Fast forward to today, and there is yet to be an official confirmation. However, Final Fantasy XVI players continue to hope for official word from the game’s developer Naoki Yoshida. While there is still a lot shrouded in secrecy, fans have been able to get a few glimpses.
 

 

Final Fantasy XVI Tops Most Wanted Charts

One thing is clear: Final Fantasy fans are eagerly awaiting the next installment. In the latest released charts by Famitsu, Final Fantasy XVII was once again in the top 10. The game series was 1 of only 2 PlayStation 5 games to be included in the top 10. It was closely followed by Splatoon 3, Bayonetta, and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild sequel. This comes as no surprise since Final Fantasy XVII has been highly anticipated for months, losing the top spot only once.

Square Enix Launches Another Final Fantasy Spin-Off To Keep Gamers Interested

On March 18, 2022, Square Enix launched Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin on both PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4. Its availability has now been extended to include Xbox and Xbox Series S. The spin-off game aims to retell the narrative of the 35-year-old game with an edgier twist. Developers over at Square Enix had hoped that the launch would receive a warm welcome amongst Final Fantasy fanatics while awaiting a confirmed launch date for Final Fantasy XVII. Similarly, the release of Final Fantasy VII Remake saw the reintroduction of Reeve Tuesti, Cloud, and other originating characters from the installment.

However, initial reviews of the game have flagged a few shortcomings. Likened to ‘your drunk dad’s Final Fantasy’ by reviewers, some of the red flags that have been mentioned are the constant maintenance and unnecessary armor for players in the game. Yet, while there seem to be a few design flaws, the spin-off has managed to capture the universal charm and allure of the Final Fantasy franchise.

Spring Reveal Promised For Next Installment

While there has been no official confirmed release date, Final Fantasy fans had hoped that the Square would reveal more during its State of Play announcement. While Square did announce 2 RPG games, there was sadly no Final Fantasy XVII trailer. While there is no definitive date, the game’s developer Naoki Yoshida revealed late last year that the game franchise had been delayed due to the pandemic. He went on to say that more news should be released in Spring 2022, possibly during the PlayStation Showcase event in June. 

In January 2022, he went on to provide an update, “When last we spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy 16 sometime later in 2021. However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise as complications stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the game’s development by almost a half year. That said, we have spent much of 2021 addressing this issue and hope to see its impact to a minimum by the new year, allowing us to better focus on the tasks at hand: increasing graphic resource quality, refining combat mechanics, fleshing out individual battles, putting the finishing touches on cutscenes, and conducting overall graphical optimization. Our primary goal now is to be as hands-on with the game as possible to see it fully polished.” However, with contrasting indications like no mention of the next Final Fantasy installment on Square’s 2022 list, it could be some time before we see a trailer.
 

Asura Kagawa, NoobFeed