Final Fantasy XVI Announced with Naoki Yoshida and Hiroshi Takai at the Helm

16 Sep 2020
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Today, after much anticipation, Square Enix revealed Final Fantasy XVI to the world.

The game, from Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III, will be Produced by Naoki Yoshida, and Directed by Hiroshi Takai who have most recently worked together on Final Fantasy XIV, with Takai’s credits running as far back as Final Fantasy V.

Fans of Final Fantasy XIV have often wondered what a Noaki Yoshida-led offline Final Fantasy game would look like, and today they have their answer.


Comment from Producer Naoki Yoshida

FINAL FANTASY XVI producer (that’s right, just producer) Naoki Yoshida here. How did you enjoy the trailer? The exclusive footage, comprised of both battles and cutscenes running in real-time, represents but a fraction of what our team has accomplished since the start of development on this, an all-new FINAL FANTASY game. In that span, the team’s size has grown from a handful of core members to a full-fledged unit that continues to polish and build upon what they have created so far, all to provide players an experience unmatched in terms of story and gameplay.

Our next big information reveal is scheduled for 2021, so in the meantime, I expect everyone to have fun speculating, as we have a lot in store—not only for FINAL FANTASY XVI, but for FINAL FANTASY XIV, too. Needless to say, I’ll be working hard on both!


Comment from Director Hiroshi Takai

When FINAL FANTASY I was released, I was just another player─a young student with big dreams. By the time FINAL FANTASY V was in the works, I had earned myself a seat at the developers’ table… albeit at the very end. From there, I moved “online” leaving my mark on both FINAL FANTASY XI and XIV.

And now…XVI.

From the establishment of an all new development environment, to learning the ins-and-outs of the PS5, the team and I have taken on countless challenges during our journey to bring you the sixteenth chapter in the storied FINAL FANTASY franchise. And though we’re pouring our hearts and souls into this project each and every day, it may still be some time before we can get it into your hands. However, I promise it will be worth the wait!


Final Fantasy XIV will be exclusive to PlayStation 5, with a PC release also planned.


Images courtesy of Square Enix.