Could there be a Final Fantasy XVI sequel? “We’ve left the door open a little,” says its Naoki Yoshida

These days, a Final Fantasy isn’t always that final. This year marks a full twenty years since the series first dabbled in a move away from self-enclosed, one-shot stories with the release of Final Fantasy X-2 - and so that means with each new title, there’s an expectation that it could easily spawn a whole universe of related content.

Which, of course, leads us to a question. Final Fantasy XVI is content complete, ready for release in exactly one month. But will that be the end of its story? We asked FF16 Producer Naoki Yoshida, who is used to the never-ending narrative of an MMO, about what it was like establishing and ending this story in one game. In answering Yoshida couldn't help but touch on what might come next.

“I think a good script is something that doesn't give all the answers at the end," Yoshida mused. "It invokes a lot of feelings. It makes people think. It leaves a little bit of doubt there at the end.”

“You're going to have finality in the main beats of the story, and you're going to get those answers. But there's always going to be that door left open a little bit to get people thinking. 

“Moving forward, when people get the game and they play it, and they love it enough that they want to see more... We've left the door open a little - just enough so that we can continue and can show more.”

Having created a rich and deep world, it’s perhaps unsurprising that the developers of FF16 already have a few threads they could pick up and use in other projects if they wish. With that said, Yoshida is keen to note that this isn’t a situation like the previous game, which arguably needed patches and updates to feel complete. A key mission was ensuring a complete story was told on day one - and Yoshida emphasizes that in our chat.

“For what you're going to get on June 22nd, it's going to be a complete experience that you're going to be able to enjoy from beginning to end,” he notes.

But a sequel isn’t off the cards. This may be just the beginning of adventures in Valisthea. 

Final Fantasy XVI releases next month, on June 22nd. If you're getting hyped, don't forget to reads our extensive FF16 hands-on impressions - and you'll be able to read the full transcript of our chat with Naoki Yoshida later this week.