After nearly seven years of waiting, the long-anticipated Final Fantasy 16 will finally be in fans' hands this June. Despite the hype built around it, some were disappointed to find out that the upcoming title would be a PlayStation 5 exclusive. That said, not all hope is lost, as there is still potential for the game to come to other consoles.
Shadow drops have often been used a number of times in recent months as a marketing tactic to surprise fans with a new game. For a game like Tango Gameworks' lesser-known Hi-Fi Rush (which received no marketing prior to release), this strategy can launch something into the realm of mass popularity. Final Fantasy 16 has the potential to do the same thing on Xbox Games Pass, especially after its time as an exclusive.
Final Fantasy 16's Potential For a Shadow Drop on Xbox Games Pass is Huge
Final Fantasy 16's exclusivity is said to last at least six months after release due to a deal struck between Sony and Square Enix in order to sell more PS5s. Naoki Yoshida, the producer of Final Fantasy 16, says that Sony provided "generous support" in terms of marketing the game as well as developing it. But once that period ends, Final Fantasy 16 should be free to move to other platforms.
Despite having little hype built around them, shadow-dropped games can blow others out of the water, as was seen when Hi-Fi Rush overshadowed AAA games like Forspoken in terms of popularity. Shadow drops are unique because they don't wait for players to come up with expectations; shadow drops let the game speak for itself immediately on launch day, which bodes well if they are high quality. This unexpected potential choice for Final Fantasy 16 may end up being a good thing for the game as a whole, even if players won't be going in blind.
By the time its exclusivity window is over, Final Fantasy 16 will have likely ironed out many of its initial launch bugs and performance issues. Were it to shadow drop on Xbox Games Pass, it would likely be a much smoother experience than the initial release on PS5. As jaw-dropping as Final Fantasy 16's in-game world looks, it is bound to have a few issues hidden away. Having at least six months for the game to stew before it reaches PC and Xbox audiences may be a good thing in the long run, especially if Square Enix chooses to keep up a steady stream of DLC like it did with Final Fantasy 15.
However, there is the potential for Final Fantasy 16 to not come to Xbox at all. Recently, Microsoft filed a statement in which it claimed Sony entered arrangements with third-party publishers like Square Enix to keep their games off Xbox. If this is true, Xbox fans may never see Final Fantasy 16 - though it should be mentioned that details on Final Fantasy 16's future are somewhat sparse, so all of this may be subject to change. Despite this, many fans are still eager to experience Final Fantasy 16 and all its new features. Though it may be a while before it arrives on other platforms, the potential for a shadow drop on the Xbox Games Pass leaves a lot for fans to think about.
Final Fantasy 16 will launch on June 22, exclusively for PS5.