It’s been awhile since we’ve heard about Final Fantasy XVI, but Square Enix has finally provided a small development update. Naoki Yoshida, the game’s producer, said in a live stream during the Tokyo Game Show that Final Fantasy XVI’s main scenario has been completed, and that the development team is currently finalizing the remaining side quests. Yoshida also stated that character models are almost finished and that only a few quality improvements remain to be finalized.
In October 2020, a careers page on Square Enix’s website stated that the game’s basic development and scenario had already been finished. Later that month, Square Enix revealed new information about the game’s story and characters, as well as the map. The protagonist will be Clive Rosfield, who serves as a protector to his younger brother Joshua. Clive is on a quest for revenge after facing tragedy at the hands of the dark Eikon, Ifrit.
Final Fantasy XVI’s release date is still unknown, though last year Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier claimed on the podcast Triple Click that the game would be coming “sooner than people think.” It’s set to be a PS5 exclusive, but it’s rumored that the exclusivity is timed for both six months and one year, at which point the game can be released on PC and other consoles, respectively.
