We come bearing good news for those waiting on an official update on Final Fantasy XVI. The critically acclaimed JRPG is getting at least two paid DLC expansions and a PC port, which the game’s producer, Naoki Yoshida, confirmed earlier this year. But, that’s not all. According to Uchida Yuuya, the voice actor of Clive Rosfield in FFXVI, he’s heard rumors that Square Enix might announce something related to FFXVI in December, hinting at the potential appearance of Yoshida or someone else from Creative Business Unit I over at The Game Awards.
Final Fantasy XVI came out earlier this year and won over critics. Unfortunately, fans couldn’t agree if it was good or not (or if it was even a Final Fantasy game). To make matters worse, there was plenty of debate on whether the PlayStation 5 exclusive sold well. Ultimately, Square Enix confirmed that while FFXVI did well commercially, its success wasn’t enough to help it overcome a bad financial period.
Nevertheless, the promise of a potential release date announcement for the upcoming premium expansions for FFXVI is good news for fans dying to know more about the latest Final Fantasy entry.
The PlayStation 5 exclusive is currently nominated for four awards at The Game Awards, which takes place on December 7: Best Narrative, Best Score and Music, Best Performance (Ben Starr), and Best Role Playing Game. Of the four, FF XVI has the best shot at winning Best Score and Music and Best Performance.
If Square Enix is confident that FFXVI can win either award, it could time the announcement for when Ben Starr or the game’s composer, Masayoshi Soken, takes center stage.
Of course, having four nominations is still a big deal. Starfield, in particular, only got one (for Best Role Playing Game) and this year’s best-selling game, Hogwarts Legacy, got none at all. Thus, Square Enix might be feeling confident enough away to reveal what’s next for their latest Final Fantasy title at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.
Square Enix has big plans for 2024. It will release Final Fantasy VII Rebirth in February. Similarly, FFXVI is getting a PC port but Square Enix could delay this and prioritize the paid post-launch content. We expect to see a similar bundle as the FF7 Remake Intergrade for FF16 on PC where the game base and all the expansions are packaged as one.
Unfortunately, it’s unclear if FFXVI will ever come to Xbox Series S/X. If it’s any consolation, Final Fantasy XIV is joining the Xbox platform in Spring 2024.
Aside from the Final Fantasy VII Remake trilogy and Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix is reportedly working on remakes of Final Fantasy IX and Final Fantasy X.
