Good news for gamers fearing an incoming Final Fantasy XVI delay – according to the game’s producer Naoki Yoshida, nothing short of a cataclysmic event will prevent the anticipated title from hitting its planned release date. Yoshida was present along with director Hiroshi Takai, combat lead Ryota Suzuki, and localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox at a Square Enix media tour event, where he offered key details on the next installment of the Final Fantasy franchise. In comments translated by Gematsu, Yoshida declared:
I can tell you that we do not foresee any delays and barring some act of God, like a meteor hitting our headquarters in Japan, the game will be coming out on time.
Final Fantasy is a series known for its delays, with two of its latest entries Final Fantasy XV and Final Fantasy 7 Remake both receiving delays close to their respective launch dates. This was likely the reason Square Enix did not give a set release date for Final Fantasy XVI until the Game Awards in December 2022, despite its initial announcement being made back in 2020. Fortunately, it seems that Final Fantasy XVI will break the streak and hit its June 22 release date later this year.
In a separate interview with the Japanese PlayStation blog translated by Google, Yoshida also commented on the game’s exclusivity agreement and when fans can expect Final Fantasy XVI to arrive on other platforms. The game is currently planned to release exclusively for the PlayStation 5 for the remainder of the 2023 calendar year, and according to Yoshida, it will likely be much longer until the game receives a PC release:
First of all, it is true that Final Fantasy XVI is a six-month limited time exclusive on the PS5 platform. However, it is a completely different story that the PC version will be released in half a year. I will make it clear, but the PC version will not come out in half a year. This is because we spent a lot of time and money optimizing the PS5 platform to deliver the best gaming experience. Of course, I would like to release a PC version at some point so that everyone can play as many games as possible.