Final Fantasy fans will have to wait a bit longer before Square Enix has any further news to share regarding the long-running RPG franchise’s latest mainline installment, Final Fantasy XVI.
This is according to FFXVI producer Naoki Yoshida, who shared a letter on Twitter today revealing that the development team had been substantially impacted by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and that work on the game was delayed by almost half a year. FFXVI was originally announced in October 2020 as an exclusive for Sony’s next-gen console, the PlayStation 5.
“As the latest addition to the FINAL FANTASY series being developed for the PlayStation 5, FINAL FANTASY XVI has amassed a sizeable team composed of talented creators from around the world,” Yoshida started before going on to explain some of the problems that his team had to deal with in the midst of the pandemic.
“However, in an effort to offset the effects of COVID-19, we’ve had to decentralize that workforce by permitting staff to tackle their assignments from home. This has unfortunately hampered communication from the Tokyo office, which, in turn, has led to delays in—or in extreme cases, cancellations of—asset deliveries from our outsource partners.”
Luckily, Yoshida says that the issues have been addressed and that his team should be able to share more regarding FFXVI in spring 2022 as part of a “big reveal.” Some of what has been released thus far are promotional artworks teasing some of the settings and characters, which include protagonist Clive Rosfield.
“FINAL FANTASY XVI brings players into a world where Eikons are powerful and deadly creatures that reside within Dominants—a single man or woman who is blessed with the ability to call upon their dreaded power,” reads a teaser for the game. “The story follows Clive Rosfield, a young man dedicated to mastering the blade, who is dubbed the First Shield of Rosaria and tasked to guard his younger brother Joshua—the Dominant of the Phoenix. Unexpected events set Clive on a dark and dangerous road to revenge.”
Source: Final Fantasy XVI