It has been some time since we heard about Final Fantasy XVI, and it seems like there is a very good reason why Square Enix is holding back revealing more.
Speaking with the Washington Post, producer Naoki Yoshida commented on the lack of news, saying that the developer doesn't want to say something half-backed that will only lead to speculation and possibly disappointment. This new approach is definitely refreshing, considering how too many Final Fantasy titles in the past have been revealed too early and with very few features and mechanics set in stone.
Each person will probably have their own sort of idea or image of what the next Final Fantasy should be. Saying something half baked is definitely very high risk. If something gets spoken about, someone will pick it up on social and it starts to spread around and people will form expectations. So with ‘Final Fantasy XVI,’ whenever we do reveal more information on it, we hope to show what kind of game it’s going to bring, and what kind of excitement we can bring
Despite Naoki Yoshida and his team holding back new details to avoid disappointment, it seems like many of the Final Fantasy XVI features are already set in place. Not only the reveal trailer showed more gameplay than usual, but the publisher itself confirmed that basic development and scenario production were already complete back in October 2020.
Basic development and scenario production have already been completed, and we are continuing to create large-scale resources and build boss battles while expanding various development tools. In addition, most staff work remotely.
Final Fantasy XVI is currently in development for PlayStation 5 and will release on a yet to be confirmed date. We will keep you updated on the game as soon as more come in on it, so stay tuned for all the latest news.