Just six short months have passed since Square Enix released its latest installment in the open-world RPG series Final Fantasy, and while most gaming companies would take ample time to let ideas for a new title marinate, rumor has it that yet another Final Fantasy game is in development. With Final Fantasy 15 in the depths of its DLC phase, Square Enix just may have something else up its sleeve, and could potentially already be working on Final Fantasy 16.
A few astute fans spotted advertisement posted by an anonymous company looking for a 2D artist for a "Super-Famous RPG Series," an apparent reference to the Final Fantasy franchise. The ad, posted on the Japanese job recruitment site ECareerFA, specifies that the artist will "create an image of a certain RPG's numbered title." Such artwork will include images and concepts of the Final Fantasy world, like its towns, fields, and dungeons that appear during the game. The artist will also create "everything related to the background" of the game, like furniture, emblems, vehicles, weapons, items, and map icons. Overall, the job's main focus is on 2D graphics rendering, drawing up images, and "setting picture as materials for [a] 3D designer to produce."
The anonymous ad later states that the company for which the artist will work is one that "everyone admires," and that it's a "game maker with a popular series." Additionally, the ad mentions that the company "sent out a huge hit RPG [title] to the world" and that it has launched online games as well.
Things fall together even more seamlessly, and seem to further indicate that the job posting is for Final Fantasy 16, when considering the description of the company's headquarters location. The ad states that it's in Tokyo, Japan, about a minute from the Higashi-Shinjuku station of the Oedo Line and Fukutoshin Line, and eight minutes from both the main Shinjuku Station and the Shunjuku Sanchome station of the Marunouchi and Fukutoshin Line. And which game publisher's headquarters are located within those parameters? Square Enix's.
All things considered thus far, it seems that Square Enix could be the publisher in question and that the game is currently in concept, pre-production, or extremely early production. However, since no official statement has been made by Square Enix or any creatives involved in the Final Fantasy series, this is all just speculation.
That isn't to say fans wouldn't be excited to know Final Fantasy 16 is already in development. Given the rocky launch of Final Fantasy 15, having been delayed numerous times and encountering sales trouble (at one point needing to sell 10 million copies to break even), a fresh new title may help mend some old wounds.
In any case, players can look forward to learning what Square Enix really is working on when the publisher takes the stage at E3 2017 in June. Perhaps Square Enix will tease some Final Fantasy news, or at least give an update on where the franchise is headed in the future.
Final Fantasy 15, the most recent installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, is available now for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Source: ECareerFA