Final Fantasy and Xbox don’t usually mix. But, in recent years, Microsoft has invested a lot in the Japanese video game industry, even acquiring Tango Gameworks, founded by survival horror stalwart, Shinji Mikami.
This recent development, alongside the arrival of Final Fantasy 14& on Xbox, has paved the way for conversations that mainline entries in the franchise might eventually make their way to a traditionally foreign platform.
But while most of what we’ve heard regarding Final Fantasy coming to Xbox in the past has been pure conjecture, speculation, and/or rumors, the latest word comes from someone who literally has the authority to make it happen.
Noisy Pixel recently got a chance to sit down with Naoki Yoshida and Takeo Kijuraoka at PAX East 2024 where they hinted at Square Enix’s plans following the release of The Rising Tide expansion in April.
According to Yoshida, Square Enix will think about releasing Final Fantasy 16 “to other platforms” once the PC port comes out, presumably later this year.
The Creative Business Unit 3 Head has never been shy about airing his thoughts out in the open, previously sharing his interest in a collaboration with Blizzard Entertainment’s best-selling dungeon crawler, Diablo. But, more often than not, his words have become prophetic. Either that or he’s just been playing coy all this time, teasing fans to drum up interest ahead of an official reveal. Such was the case when Yoshi-P said that post-launch expansion wasn’t part of the initial plans for FF16 following the game’s commercially successful and critically acclaimed release last year.
Of course, this remains a hint at things to come and far from an actual confirmation. If we’re lucky, Square Enix will announce the Xbox port in June at this year’s Xbox Direct presentation, presumably just as PlayStation’s exclusive marketing deal for FF16 ends.
Unfortunately, as for Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, don’t count on either game coming to Xbox. The earliest that we might see both games come to Xbox is after the entire project sees its conclusion following the release of Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3 later this decade.
Gameplay-wise, unless you’re a huge fan of the OG or JRPGs, in general, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy may not be your cup of tea anyway, which might explain its relatively low sales so far. FF16, despite the initial backlash to its gameplay, is far more accessible to modern audiences.
Speaking of Yoshi-P, the FF14director might have just dropped our biggest clue yet for the long-rumored Final Fantasy 9 remake.
