Perhaps with less fanfare than it might have received were it announced during a live event, this morning’s PlayStation 5 Showcase event started with Square Enix unveiling their first trailer for Final Fantasy XVI – the sixteenth mainline Final Fantasy game in the long-running RPG series. While Tetsuya Nomura and Hajime Tabata helmed the last game, Final Fantasy XIV Online veterans Naoki Yoshida (Producer) and Hiroshi Takai (Director) are taking the charge this time around.
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!
Naoki “YoshiP” Yoshida
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.
And now…XVI.
From the establishment of an all new development environment, to learning the ins-and-outs of the PS5, the team and I have taken on countless challenges during our journey to bring you the sixteenth chapter in the storied FINAL FANTASY franchise. And though we’re pouring our hearts and souls into this project each and every day, it may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!
Hiroshi Takai
While not exclusively to the PlayStation 5, Sony Interactive Entertainment has console exclusivity for Final Fantasy XVI. Those without a PS5 console at launch will be able to purchase the game for the PC as well. Expect to hear more about this RPG in 2021.
