Final Fantasy XVI Producer & Director Comment on The New Game; Next Big Reveal Coming in 2021

Following the reveal of Final Fantasy XVI during the PlayStation 5 showcase, Square Enix sent a press release with more details.

Besides a few spiffy stills from the trailer, which you can enjoy at the bottom of the post, we received comments from producer Naoki Yoshida (known for being the producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV) and director Hiroshi Takai, who also worked on Final Fantasy XIV, XI, and directed The Last Remnant.

Incidentally, Yoshida-san mentions that the next big reveal for Final Fantasy XVI will be in 2021.

Naoki Yoshida

“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

“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.

And now…XVI.

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!”

You can enjoy the images included in the press release below.

For now, we know that Final Fantasy XVI will release for PS5 and PC. No release window has been shared, and the PS5 console exclusivity has been explicitly described as temporary.