If you have your heart set on playing the next Final Fantasy sometime soon, you might want to temper your expectations. According to a tweet from producer Naoki Yoshida, the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed back development of Final Fantasy 16 by “almost half a year.” Yoshida cited “hampered communication” due to remote work and, apparently, some less-than-reliable “outsource partners” as some of the chief issues Square Enix is facing at the moment. With Final Fantasy 16 delayed, we’re now left to wonder which Final Fantasy game we might end up getting first: FF16 or the second installment of Final Fantasy 7 Remake.
When was Final Fantasy 16 delayed from, exactly? Well, that’s a great question. Yoshida was careful to note that development on Final Fantasy 16 was delayed without mentioning any sort of release date. The making of the game? That was pushed back. Where we stand in the very long process of its creation and future release is anyone’s guess.
For the most part, fans on Twitter seem to be fairly supportive of the move, with some telling Yoshida and Square Enix, “Take all the time you need.”
There is some good news, though
While hearing this news about Final Fantasy 16 is sure to disappoint some, Yoshida did have an exciting tidbit to share. The game will get its “next big reveal in spring of 2022” as he and his team “seek to build excitement leading up to the game’s eventual release.”
Some may believe Yoshida’s words still point to a late 2022 release — why else would Square Enix rev up the hype machine so quickly? However, if you think back to other high-profile releases, it’s not uncommon to see multiple years of marketing before a launch. Plus: Square Enix has a history of delaying Final Fantasy games. That’s something else to consider.
For now, we’ll have our eyes peeled for news on this Spring 2022 event, as well as a solid Final Fantasy 16 release date. Check back later for more news on Square Enix’s next mainline Final Fantasy.
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