Back in the middle of summer, a rumor emerged regarding a new Final Fantasy in development. At the time, many expected this rumor to be false or related to the Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Despite the Final Fantasy 7 Remake being incomplete, a new Final Fantasy has been announced. Today during Sony’s PlayStation 5 Showcase, SQUARE ENIX revealed FINAL FANTASY XVI “AWAKENING”. FINAL FANTASY XVI “AWAKENING” is being developed by creators Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Takai. Hiroshi Takai was behind (co-partner) FINAL FANTASY XIV and THE LAST REMNANT; while Naoki Yoshida was behind (co-partner) FINAL FANTASY XIV and DRAGON QUEST X.
Yoshida and Takai are collaborating once again on an all-new standalone game. FINAL FANTASY XVI (Final Fantasy 16) which will be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. FINAL FANTASY XVI (Final Fantasy 16) is a single-player action-RPG currently in development for the PS5. At the moment, Final Fantasy 16 has yet to be rated.
Naoki Yoshida Comments
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!
Hiroshi Takai Comments
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.
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!
