We know that Final Fantasy XVI is on its way for the PlayStation 5, but we don’t know exactly when the long awaited RPG is going to drop.
Now, Square Enix has shed a little light on the game’s development. While we still don’t have a release date or even a release window, Square has noted that the game has completed the “basic development” phase.
This information was revealed through a recruitment page for the game, first noticed by the Japanese publication Games Talk. On a careers page, the company says (in Japanese) that it has “already completed basic development and scenario production” for Final Fantasy XVI and has since moved on to “large-scale resources and boss battles while expanding our various development tools.” Reportedly, the project is also being worked on remotely by the majority of Square Enix’s staff due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Of course, we only know all of this because the company is looking to expand its staff, finding new professionals in the gaming world to help out on building Final Fantasy XVI. This includes building out cutscenes, creating character actions, and much more.
Recently, journalist Jason Schreier reported that final Fantasy XVI has been in development for the last four years, which means that it’s moving at a much faster pace than its predecessor, Final Fantasy XV.
We got our first official look at this game when it kicked off Sony’s PlayStation 5 reveal event in September. It should speak to the importance and popularity of the Final Fantasy series that, from an event which also announced the release date and price of one of the most sought after consoles of all time, this game trailer was one of the most talked about and analyzed moments.
What was truly interesting for some and infuriating for others is that Final Fantasy XVI will have an exclusivity period with the PlayStation 5. Final Fantasy games have been releasing on both PlayStation and Xbox consoles for nearly 15 years. Before that, Final Fantasy had been a PlayStation exclusive series dating back to the PlayStation 1.
Now, Final Fantasy XVI is going to be the first numbered Final Fantasy game to be a PlayStation exclusive since Final Fantasy XII released in 2006.
This should come as no shock to anyone who has been paying attention. Final Fantasy VII Remake, one of Square’s most anticipated titles of all time, already had a one year exclusivity deal with Sony.
