There have been plenty of rumors as of late that Final Fantasy 16's release date would be announced soon, and now ahead of an expected announcement at The Game Awards, a potential release date has appeared online. Of course, this doesn't come directly from Square Enix and should therefore be treated with a grain of salt, but Final Fantasy 16 fans may want to mark their calendars.A few weeks back, Final Fantasy 16 producer Yoshi-P implied that a release date announcement would come before the end of the year, and everyone pointed to The Game Awards as a potential stage for that. This was followed by reports that pre-orders for the game would open around December 8, the date of The Game Awards, and it was recently confirmed that Yoshi-P would be there. There's a lot swirling around this potential announcement, and the latest development is the release date in full potentially leaking online.Like ogres, however, this leak has some layers. It originates from a potential teaser/poem written by Twitter user The Snitch, who has accurately leaked information in the past. The leading theory with this leaker is that they work at YouTube and are able to see hidden videos on the back end, thus implying a new trailer set for The Game Awards could be on there. Either way, while the emphasis on crystals makes it a clear Final Fantasy 16 reference, it's then Insider Gaming's insight into the tweet that comes with the release date. Some are interpreting the reference to six nations and twenty-two grains of sand as the date, meaning June 22, 2022.
Notably, this isn't the first time such a window has been floated for the game. During the PlayStation Showcase back in 2021, many fans were quick to point out that the intro stated "Valisthea 6.16" on a digital billboard, implying this could be Final Fantasy 16's release date. Fans at the time believed it could have been released in 2022 though, but with the 2023 window now confirmed, it's possible this was the window the entire time.
After all, Final Fantasy 16's continued development has reportedly gone swimmingly, and whether it is released on June 16 or June 22, that would correspond with it. It should also be noted that June 22nd is a Thursday, but most games in the US release on a Tuesday or Friday. This doesn't make it less likely though, as some games break from this pattern from time to time, and Square Enix has a tendency to do that as is. However, fans may very well know the truth of the situation come The Game Awards.
Final Fantasy 16 is scheduled to release in 2023.
Source: The Snitch (via Insider Gaming)