Final Fantasy 16 in ‘final stages’ of development, producer says

Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida says the next mainline game in the Final Fantasy series is in the “final stages” of development, according to translated comments Yoshida made to Uniqlo’s UT magazine. (Yes, Uniqlo the clothing retail giant, which is about to launch a new series of Final Fantasy T-shirts for the franchise’s 35th anniversary.)

Yoshida, aka “Yoshi-P,” also offered some insight into the development philosophy of Final Fantasy 16 — insight that seems tailored to appeal to the kind of player who might fondly remember past Final Fantasy games, but really only buys the retro T-shirts now.

“Unlike an online game that involves many players at the same time, [Final Fantasy 16] offers a different experience where it focuses on the individual player and immerses you in the story,” Yoshida said, according to a translation from Final Fantasy fan and Twitch streamer Audrey. “I think it’s a very fleshed-out story. For those who have grown up and realized that reality isn’t kind to you and have drifted away from Final Fantasy, we hope that FF16 will be a game that can bring back anew the passion that you once had with the series.”

Publisher Square Enix hasn’t communicated any kind of release date for Final Fantasy 16, but Yoshida himself has promised to show new information about the game sometime this spring. Yoshida has also said that FF16’s development was slowed by the pandemic, impacting the game’s development by as much as six months.

Final Fantasy 16 was announced in September 2020 as a PlayStation 5 game. A PC version has also been announced.