Final Fantasy 16
In mid-September Naoki Yoshida had talked about a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 in preparation by the end of the month, thought to be released in October 2022, it is not yet known on what occasion. Already at the time, however, there was talk of a potential PlayStation Showcase 2022, due to the fact that we are talking about an exclusive title for the Sony platform, but now the rumor has become even stronger, given the multiplication of rumors about it.Many believe that October is the right month to get news from the Japanese multinational, particularly lacking in information on its future games in recent times, with the announcement of new titles coming out in the coming months and years and the presentation of the final PlayStation VR 2 line up, including release date.
When could the PlayStation Showcase happen? Considering that the Final Fantasy 16 trailer should be ready by now, according to what Yoshida said, it is likely that it will not be missing very much.
Sony is likely to make an announcement shortly with the date, in case the event really exists, in order to prepare its fans.
Another hypothesis is the arrival of a new event dedicated to Square Enix's Final Fantasy series, although it is less likely given that it has already held one during the year, announcing the release of the game for next winter.
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Final Fantasy 16 news, trailer and everything we know so far
Audio player loading…Final Fantasy 16 (XVI) is in development and it's coming to PS5 next year. This RPG is the next mainline title in the long and storied Final Fantasy series – in every entry, Square Enix completely changes the setting, characters, and how the game plays. That's no different here.
Following its reveal trailer, Square Enix launched a new teaser website, confirming character names, the story, and the location this entry take place in. During that trailer, we meet three main characters, who we now know are Clive (the main protagonist), Joshua (Clive's younger brother), and Jill, a family friend close to the two brothers.
After the game's reveal, Square Enix kept fairly quiet, playing its cards close to its chest for a good while. That's all beginning to change, though as in May 2022, producer Naoki Yoshida teased that Final Fantasy 16 is close to completion and, thanks to the June 2022 State of Play conference, we've had our best look at the game yet.
Here's everything we know about Final Fantasy 16 so far.
Final Fantasy 16 has a release window of 'Summer 2023' (between June and September) for its PS5 release. Right now, a more firm release date than that hasn't been shared yet. It won't be appearing on last-gen consoles though, the PS4 version of Final Fantasy 16 was scrapped in early development, according to producer Naoki Yoshida.
It does, seem, though, that the game's development is right on track to meet this window. Following the June 2022 State of Play stream, in a post on the PlayStation Blog, Yoshida stated: 'The team, under direction of Hiroshi Takai, has entered the final leg of development and is focusing on polish as they continue their march toward master up and launch. I, for one, would like to personally thank them for all the hard work they’ve put into the project.'
Takai himself wrote in an update on Final Fantasy 16's official website (opens in new tab) that 'the game is fully playable from start to finish; though, from optimization to brush-up, there is still a mountain of challenges to tackle as we head into our final push.'
What's unclear is a potential PC release. It was mentioned in the game's reveal trailer but ever since, Square Enix hasn't acknowledged this, only saying that it's a PS5 exclusive. While this could've been an error, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade eventually made its way to PC, as did Final Fantasy 15. As such, chances are likely but fans could waiting a while.
Final Fantasy 16 trailersFinal Fantasy 16 has had two trailers so far – and you can watch them below.
The first is a surprisingly great teaser for the game. It isn't just some cinematics and ambiguous hints at what to come – we get a healthy does of the setting, various characters and how the game will actually play when you get into a fight.
At the start of the trailer, we see haggard mercenary characters sitting around a campfire, who are about to charge into battle. Eventually, it changes pace to show a young boy called Joshua who appears to hold some form of magical power, seemingly linked to the Phoenix – an Eikon, or summon, in Final Fantasy parlance.
Check out the first Final Fantasy 16 trailer below:
As for the second, Dominance, this gave us our first major look at Final Fantasy 16 since that initial reveal. Getting a fresh look at the upcoming plot, Square Enix also showcased some pretty significant battles, such as fights between magical summons like Shiva and Ifrit.
Check out the second trailer below:
Final Fantasy 16 story, characters and setting
We now know that Final Fantasy 16's story and adventure will take place in a land called Valisthea.
The world is tied to six different Mothercrystals, which have been around for generations. During this time, six powerful nations have risen up around the Mothercrystals and each place now lives in relative peace. As is always the case with Final Fantasy, the blessings bestowed by the Mothercrystals has allowed these powers to thrive, and their people to live in comfort.
Of course, we also learn that the crystals have been the cause of 'countless wars', which eventually formed the six nations now in the game: the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, the Iron Kingdom, and the Crystalline Dominion.
Each place views the world differently and, obviously, this leads to some political disagreements between the nations. However, we know that the emergence of something called a 'Blight', which is spreading across the land, is making these different powers desperate. This is probably where we will begin the game; in the midst of this turbulent time.
In a radio interview (via Kotaku) producer Naoki Yoshida said that while Final Fantasy 16 is going to be “action-oriented” it’s “turning into a Final Fantasy that features both story and action.” According to Yoshida, steps are being taken to accommodate players who prefer story to action, saying, “We strongly want people to enjoy the story, so we’re preparing a mode for those who want to focus on the story”.
It seems that the story might touch on more mature themes, as he added, “I think that when you become an adult, you also understand suffering. And so, people who have grown up on Final Fantasy, also know the real world. But even then, they want to once again enjoy fantasy. They can get something out of it and are able to contemplate things. I’m thinking I’d like to make this a theme [for the game].”
Final Fantasy 16 gameplayFinal Fantasy 16 is an action RPG, meaning you shouldn't expect the turn-based combat of older entries, it's more akin to Final Fantasy 15 instead. We're also aware that Final Fantasy 16 won't be open world, but Naoki Yoshida confirms it will 'find inspiration' from them.
Clive Rosfield is the main protagonist and he'll be joined by a series of AI-controlled companions in battles. The teaser website explains that he's the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria and he's in charge of protecting his younger brother Joshua, who happens to hold the Dominant of the Phoenix.
Thanks to Joshua's link to the Eikon Phoenix, Clive has been bestowed the Blessing of the Phoenix, giving him the ability to use some of the Eikon's flame and power to make himself stronger. As the story unfolds, we're told that Clive is 'swept up into a great tragedy.'
Joshua Rosfield is Clive’s little brother and the PlayStation blog explains that he is also the Dominant of the Phoenix — Eikon of Fire. This means that Joshua has the Eikon Phoenix inside him, giving him special abilities and powers. We're told that 'As a Dominant, Joshua transforms into the Phoenix and fights to protect his nation.' This tells us a little about the world, namely how it view Dominants and Eikons.
Finally, Jill Warrick is the young girl we first meet in the initial trailer. She's friends with Clive and Joshua because, an early age, she was taken from her homeland in the Northern Territories—a nation that swore loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Rosaria—to broker peace between the two powers.
You'll recognize the term Eikon if you've played Final Fantasy 14, A Realm Reborn, where they're referred to as Primals. The official website tells us Eikons 'reside within special beings called Dominants. How Dominants are treated depends on the realm—in some, they are revered as royalty, while in others they are sent to the frontlines as weapons of war.'
A PlayStation blog post has revealed that, in Final Fantasy 16, Eikons play a big part in the story. These summoned creatures feature in combat but, naturally, impact the world of Valisthea. The Eikons we know of so far are Phoenix, Titan, Garuda, Ramuh, Shiva, Odin, Bahamut, and Ifrit. Each is a powerful creature that has a suite of different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.
In the blog post, Final Fantasy 16’s developers also give a little background to the characters controlling the Eikons. Permanent Economic Adviser Hugo Kupka, “once a nameless foot soldier in the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics”. In that position of power, he’s skimming off the top of his people and directing their will. Titan is the big lad in the trailer, the one who looks like he could be nine feet tall.
Meanwhile, one of the other Eikons, Garuda, is under the control of Benedikta Harman. She’s on a mission to find a second Eikon of fire and you’ll join her on this quest – playing as Clive Rosfield. Harman apparently “turned her talent for swordplay and subterfuge into a command of Waloed’s elite intelligencers”.
Final fantasy 16 news and rumors
New artwork revealed at Tokyo Game Show
Square Enix has revealed new artwork for Final Fantasy 16 during the Tokyo Game Show 2022. Featuring a caption that reconfirms the main plot, this was included in a pamphlet given to TGS attendees, which discusses breaking free from the crystals. It doesn't reveal much about the game otherwise, it's just a pamphlet after all, but you can check this artwork out below.
Final Fantasy 16's producer knows combat won't satisfy everyone
Commenting on gameplay in an interview with Japanese site Comic Days (via VGC), Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida stated his concerns that some fans won't like the action-based shift. He stated:
'We want the world, especially the younger generation, to play the game. Also, the mainstream games nowadays are intuitive games where you press a button and the character shoots a gun or wields a sword, and the traditional RPG style of turn-based command fighting is no longer familiar to them. It is also a fact that people are becoming less familiar with the old-fashioned style of RPGs, where you fight by selecting turn commands. That’s why the battles in Final Fantasy 16 are very action-based.'
Continuing further, Yoshida admits that the game won't satisfy everyone's demands, stating, 'Of course, I don’t think we’ll be able to satisfy everyone’s demands, so I’ve told everyone on the team that the first thing we need to do is to make something we think is fun, and make sure it reaches the people who like it.”
Working on it with the “utmost care” Final Fantasy 16 producer and Final Fantasy 14 director, Naoki Yoshida, has given a brief update on his work on the game in a recent interview with Famitsu (opens in new tab) (via @aitaikimochi (opens in new tab)).
Yoshida is working on both games and said that rumors that he’s too busy to work on Final Fantasy 14 are “not true” and that he’s “desperately working” on both games. Yoshida added that, “In either case, Final Fantasy 14 and Final Fantasy 16 will both be completed with the utmost care, so we hope for your support from here on out”.
A chance of an Xbox release? Final Fantasy 16 has been confirmed for PS5 and there have been rumors of a PC release. But could an Xbox release be in the pipeline too? A small disclaimer on PlayStation Australia’s website (opens in new tab) makes it seem like a possibility.
As discovered by a Twitter user, underneath Final Fantasy 16’s release date – which is still TBC – it says the game is, “Not available on other consoles for a limited time.” What’s interesting here is that if the listing said “other platforms”, we’d assume the game was coming to PC as suggested before. However, “other consoles” indicates that Final Fantasy 16 could make its way to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S at a later date.
Final Fantasy 16’s fate on platforms other than PS5 is yet to be confirmed so until Sony or Square Enix speaks out on the matter it remains speculation.
Timed PS5 exclusive? A trailer (opens in new tab) shared by PlayStation Brazil suggests that a PC release of Final Fantasy 16 could come after its PS5 launch, rather than alongside it. As spotted by GamesRadar (opens in new tab), the trailer shows upcoming PS5 games, Final Fantasy 16 among them, and the fine print at the bottom of the trailer states that the game won’t be “available on other platforms for a limited time after launching on PS5.”
There has been some confusion around Final Fantasy 16’s platforms. When the game was first revealed, its trailer showed that it would release on PC but this was quickly changed to show it as a PS5 release only. Square Enix was reticent to comment on other platforms, telling IGN (opens in new tab) ,“We have no further information on if Final Fantasy XVI will be released on platforms other than the PS5.”
Games industry analyst Piers Harding-Rolls has previously claimed that the game will be exclusive to the PS5 for its first six months and that while there's no official confirmation a PC release is on the cards, it could happen.
Given the lack of clarity around the game’s platforms, it wouldn’t be surprising if the game was a timed PS5 exclusive with a PC release coming at a later date but we won’t know for sure until Square Enix confirms it.
Who is directing Final Fantasy 16? As mentioned, Hiroshi Takai is in charge of directing Final Fantasy 16. He has previously worked on the immensely successful MMOs Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn as well as Final Fantasy 11, the first online Final Fantasy title.
Both of the MMOs do a great job of wonderfully capturing the essence and charm of Final Fantasy and translate it into an online setting well, complete with compelling characters, stories and beautifully designed worlds.
Who is producing the game? As discussed, Square Enix has set Naoki Yoshida as the game's producer, and he's the one who brought Final Fantasy 14 back from the brink of defeat, turning it into one of Square's most successful games.
Ultimately, this information will either mean a lot to you or very little depending on how much you've played or enjoyed Final Fantasy 11 and A Realm Reborn.