Final Fantasy 16, the next mainline entry in Square Enix's beloved JRPG series, was announced over one and a half years ago during PlayStation's September 2020 showcase event. Since then, developer Square Enix has not shown the game in any form, openly admitting that it is giving the game's development team the space it needs to develop the game for as long as it needs. After confirming last year that more footage will be shown in spring 2022, Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida has now claimed in a comment to fashion retailer Uniqlo that the game is in the final stages of development.
Final Fantasy 16 was first announced during Sony's PlayStation Showcase event in September 2020, where it was revealed that FF16 will be a console exclusive for the PlayStation 5 at launch. The trailer revealed many elements of the game such as its action-based combat, high fantasy setting, and protagonists, however it remains the only trailer Square Enix has released for the highly anticipated game.
Last December, producer Naoki Yoshida released a letter to fans claiming the studio planned to showcase the game at multiple point throughout the year, including at Tokyo Game Show, however these plans did not work out as they would have interrupted development. Yoshida also claimed that the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed Final Fantasy 16 by roughly six months up to that point. He claimed that the developer plans to showcase the game in spring 2022, despite the fact that this has not come to fruition yet. Naoki Yoshida has been on record many times claiming that he does not want fans to have to wait long between the game's next big reveal and the actual release.
It seems like that release could be coming sooner than expected, as Yoshida now claims that the game is in the final stages of development. Square Enix is currently holding a collaboration with clothing designer and retailer Uniqlo to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Final Fantasy series, and for this collaboration, the company is releasing a clothing line inspired by all mainline Final Fantasy games including the upcoming Final Fantasy 16. On the advertisement pamphlet for the collaboration, Yoshida provided an update for the game's development, which Twitter user @Aitaikomochi has translated.
In the comment, Yoshida professes his desire to win back fans who have drifted away from the series throughout the years, creating a bridge for newer and older fans of the franchise. This is likely why it appears that Final Fantasy 16 is taking inspiration from contemporary fantasy fiction such as the Game of Thrones and Witcher series'. Yoshida also contrasts the game's development to his work as director on the hugely popular MMORPG Final Fantasy 14.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PlayStation 5.