Final Fantasy 16 release date, trailers and latest news

Final Fantasy 16 launches later this year, meaning that fans of the long-running JRPG franchise don’t have very long to wait. The game will soon be in the hands of players, marking the first mainline entry into the series since 2016’s FF15. Final Fantasy 16 looks set to be a very different game to its predecessor, opting for a style based on Medieval Europe.

Now that the curtain has been pulled back, we know a fair bit about Final Fantasy 16. It appears to offer up a new combat system which blends the fast-paced action of FF15 with some of the systems shown off in Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It certainly looks to be a feast for the eyes, with next-gen graphics on PS5, and some great looking art direction.

To keep you in the loop with all things related to Final Fantasy 16, this page will be updated with all of the latest news and rumors. For now, here’s everything we know about the game, including every trailer, slice of gameplay and more.

Final Fantasy 16 : cut to the chase

• What is it? The next mainline single-player Final Fantasy title
• When can I play it? June 22, 2023
• Which can I play it on? PS5 (PC could follow)

Final Fantasy 16 release date and platforms

Final Fantasy 16 will launch June 22, 2023 on PS5. This was confirmed at The Game Awards 2022, alongside a brand new trailer. This puts it among some stiff competition, given that Diablo 4 just revealed a June launch date as well.

Sony has now confirmed that while Final Fantasy 16 is indeed a PS5 exclusive, it’s only as such for 6 months. It will likely be announced for PC platforms shortly afterwards. This information was included in a recent trailer. (opens in new tab)

Final Fantasy 16 trailers

Revenge trailer shown off at The Game Awards 2022
During The Game Awards 2022, a new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 was shown off. It centered around Clive, the game’s main protagonist. It’s mostly cinematic, with a little bit of gameplay spread evenly throughout. You can watch it below:

Ambition trailer
Final Fantasy 16’s ambition trailer focuses on the lore of Final Fantasy’s world of Valisthea, its kingdoms, and the powerful eikons at the epicenter. The trailer also introduces us to the Dominants of Bahamut and Odin. Check out the trailer below:

Dominance trailer
The Dominance trailer, aired at State of Play in June 2022, gave us our first major look at Final Fantasy 16 since the game’s initial reveal. Getting a fresh look at the upcoming plot, Square Enix also showcased some pretty significant battles, such as fights between magical summons like Shiva and Ifrit. Check out the trailer below: 

Awakening trailer
Final Fantasy 16’s reveal trailer provided a great teaser for the game. It isn’t just some cinematics and ambiguous hints at what is to come – we get a healthy dose of the setting, various characters, and how the game will actually play when you get into a fight. 

At the start of the trailer, we see haggard mercenary characters sitting around a campfire, who are about to charge into battle. Eventually, it changes pace to show a young boy called Joshua who appears to hold some form of magical power, seemingly linked to the Phoenix – an eikon, or summon, in Final Fantasy parlance. Check out the first Final Fantasy 16 trailer below:

Final Fantasy 16 story and setting

We now know that Final Fantasy 16’s story and adventure will take place in a land called Valisthea. 

The world is tied to six different Mothercrystals, which have been around for generations. During this time, six powerful nations have risen up around the Mothercrystals and each place now lives in relative peace. As is always the case with Final Fantasy, the blessings bestowed by the Mothercrystals has allowed these powers to thrive, and their people to live in comfort. 

Of course, we also learn that the crystals have been the cause of “countless wars”, which eventually formed the six nations now in the game: the Grand Duchy of Rosaria, the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, the Kingdom of Waloed, the Dhalmekian Republic, the Iron Kingdom, and the Crystalline Dominion.

Each place views the world differently and, obviously, this leads to some political disagreements between the nations. However, we know that the emergence of something called a “Blight”, which is spreading across the land, is making these different powers desperate. This is probably where we will begin the game; in the midst of this turbulent time.

In a radio interview (via Kotaku) producer Naoki Yoshida said that while Final Fantasy 16 is going to be “action-oriented” it’s “turning into a Final Fantasy that features both story and action.”  According to Yoshida, steps are being taken to accommodate players who prefer story to action, saying, “We strongly want people to enjoy the story, so we’re preparing a mode for those who want to focus on the story”.

It seems that the story might touch on more mature themes, as he added, “I think that when you become an adult, you also understand suffering. And so, people who have grown up on Final Fantasy, also know the real world. But even then, they want to once again enjoy fantasy. They can get something out of it and are able to contemplate things. I’m thinking I’d like to make this a theme [for the game].” 

Final Fantasy 16 characters and gameplay

Final Fantasy 16 is an action RPG, meaning you shouldn’t expect the turn-based combat of older entries, it’s more akin to Final Fantasy 15 instead. We’re also aware that Final Fantasy 16 won’t be open world, but Naoki Yoshida confirms it will “find inspiration” from them.

Clive Rosfield is the main protagonist and he’ll be joined by a series of AI-controlled companions in battles. The teaser website explains that he’s the firstborn son of the Archduke of Rosaria and he’s in charge of protecting his younger brother Joshua, who happens to hold the Dominant of the Phoenix. 

Thanks to Joshua’s link to the Eikon Phoenix, Clive has been bestowed the Blessing of the Phoenix, giving him the ability to use some of the eikon’s flame and power to make himself stronger. As the story unfolds, we’re told that Clive is “swept up into a great tragedy.”

Joshua Rosfield is Clive’s little brother and the Dominant of the Phoenix — Eikon of Fire. This means that Joshua has the Eikon Phoenix inside him, giving him special abilities and powers. We’re told that “As a Dominant, Joshua transforms into the Phoenix and fights to protect his nation.” This tells us a little about the world, namely how it views Dominants and eikons.

Finally, Jill Warrick is the young girl we first meet in the initial trailer. She’s friends with Clive and Joshua because, an early age, she was taken from her homeland in the Northern Territories—a nation that swore loyalty to the Grand Duchy of Rosaria—to broker peace between the two powers.

You’ll recognize the term eikon if you’ve played Final Fantasy 14, A Realm Reborn, where they’re referred to as Primals. The official website tells us eikons “reside within special beings called Dominants. How Dominants are treated depends on the realm—in some, they are revered as royalty, while in others they are sent to the frontlines as weapons of war.”

A PlayStation Blog post (opens in new tab) has revealed that, in Final Fantasy 16, eikons play a big part in the story. These summoned creatures feature in combat but, naturally, impact the world of Valisthea. The eikons we know of so far are Phoenix, Titan, Garuda, Ramuh, Shiva, Odin, Bahamut, and Ifrit. Each is a powerful creature that has a suite of different abilities, strengths, and weaknesses.

In the blog post, Final Fantasy 16’s developers also give a little background to the characters controlling the eikons. Permanent Economic Adviser Hugo Kupka, “once a nameless foot soldier in the Republican Army, his awakening as Dominant of the Eikon Titan thrust him to the forefront of Dhalmekian politics”. In that position of power, he’s skimming off the top of his people and directing their will. Titan is the big lad in the trailer, the one who looks like he could be nine feet tall.

Meanwhile, one of the other eikons, Garuda, is under the control of Benedikta Harman. She’s on a mission to find a second eikon of fire and you’ll join her on this quest – playing as Clive Rosfield. Harman apparently “turned her talent for swordplay and subterfuge into a command of Waloed’s elite intelligencers”.

Commenting on gameplay in an interview with Japanese site Comic Days (via VGC), bac in August 2022, Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida stated his concerns that some fans won’t like the action-based shift. He stated:

“We want the world, especially the younger generation, to play the game. Also, the mainstream games nowadays are intuitive games where you press a button and the character shoots a gun or wields a sword, and the traditional RPG style of turn-based command fighting is no longer familiar to them. It is also a fact that people are becoming less familiar with the old-fashioned style of RPGs, where you fight by selecting turn commands. That’s why the battles in Final Fantasy 16 are very action-based.”

Continuing further, Yoshida admits that the game won’t satisfy everyone’s demands, stating, “Of course, I don’t think we’ll be able to satisfy everyone’s demands, so I’ve told everyone on the team that the first thing we need to do is to make something we think is fun, and make sure it reaches the people who like it.”

Final fantasy 16 news and rumors

First look at FF16’s Moogles
Square Enix has shared the first look at the Moogles of Final Fantasy 16. They definitely harken back to a more classic design, and can be seen in the Tweet below:

Clive isn’t the only playable character
In an interview with Japanese site Game Watch (opens in new tab) (via PlayStation Lifestyle (opens in new tab)), creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro revealed that players will control another character in the early hours of Final Fantasy 16. This will not be Clive, who is the protagonist of the game, and who players will play as for the majority of the runtime.

New artwork revealed at Tokyo Game Show
Square Enix revealed new artwork for Final Fantasy 16 during the Tokyo Game Show 2022. Featuring a caption that reconfirmed the main plot, this was included in a pamphlet given to TGS attendees, which discussed breaking free from the crystals. It didn’t reveal much about the game otherwise, it’s just a pamphlet after all, but you can check this artwork out below.

Who is directing Final Fantasy 16?
As mentioned, Hiroshi Takai is in charge of directing Final Fantasy 16. He has previously worked on the immensely successful MMOs Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn as well as Final Fantasy 11, the first online Final Fantasy title.

Both of the MMOs do a great job of wonderfully capturing the essence and charm of Final Fantasy and translate it into an online setting well, complete with compelling characters, stories and beautifully designed worlds.

Who is producing the game?
As discussed, Square Enix has set Naoki Yoshida as the game’s producer, and he’s the one who brought Final Fantasy 14  back from the brink of defeat, turning it into one of Square’s most successful games.

Ultimately, this information will either mean a lot to you or very little depending on how much you’ve played or enjoyed Final Fantasy 11 and A Realm Reborn.