Final Fantasy XVI announced for PlayStation 5
During today's PS5 event, we got a pretty good look at the next game in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XVI. The trailer focused on all the things we’ve come to recognize in Final Fantasy games, from herds of running chocobos to summons such as Shiva and Ifrit. However, the trailer seemed focused on one player rather than a party which is a new direction for Final Fantasy games. Taking place in a medieval world, legacy and the Mother Crystals will play a large role in this upcoming game.
With the tagline "The legacy of the crystals has shaped our history for long enough." we’re excited to see where this game will take us. More information will be available in 2021.
The game is being produced by the same Square Enix 'Business Division' that's behind Final Fantasy XIV, thus it being directed by Hiroshi Takai (The Last Remnant, Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy XI) and produced by XIV boss Naoki Yoshida, despite his earlier denial. We're pretty sure the lead artist is Kazuya Takahashi, who has a resume including FF14, FF9, FF11, and the 3D remake of FF3.
Despite the stream trailer mentioning a PC version, Square Enix's official announcement states that FFXVI will be a Playstation 5 exclusive. As of right now there isn’t a release date. There's a trailer and gallery that you can check out below though, along with prepared comments by Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Takai.
Comment from Producer Naoki Yoshida
FINAL FANTASY XVI producer (that’s right, just producer) Naoki Yoshida here. How did you enjoy the trailer? The exclusive footage, comprised of both battles and cutscenes running in real-time, represents but a fraction of what our team has accomplished since the start of development on this, an all-new FINAL FANTASY game. In that span, the team’s size has grown from a handful of core members to a full-fledged unit that continues to polish and build upon what they have created so far, all to provide players an experience unmatched in terms of story and gameplay.
Our next big information reveal is scheduled for 2021, so in the meantime, I expect everyone to have fun speculating, as we have a lot in store—not only for FINAL FANTASY XVI, but for FINAL FANTASY XIV, too. Needless to say, I’ll be working hard on both!
Comment from Director Hiroshi Takai
When FINAL FANTASY I was released, I was just another player─a young student with big dreams. By the time FINAL FANTASY V was in the works, I had earned myself a seat at the developers’ table... albeit at the very end. From there, I moved “online” leaving my mark on both FINAL FANTASY XI and XIV.
