Square Enix has recently sent out an update regarding Final Fantasy XVI and its current development. The message comes from Naoki Yoshida, producer of FFXVI.
Naoki starts it by saying he apologizes for not keeping his promise of updating fans before 2021 ended, and cites the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as the reason why the game’s development is delayed by almost half a year.
The team did spent the majority of 2021 working around the issue, as their current focus lies in polishing the game and its improving the overall experience. He continues on by saying that the next big reveal is scheduled for the Spring of 2022.
Finally, Naoki Yoshida finishes by saying, “I deeply apologize to all those who have been looking forward to learning more about FINAL FANTASY XVI, and thank you for your continued patience while we focus our combined efforts on development.“
The message reads as follows:
Greetings Everyone,
When last we spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021. However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise as complications stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost a half year.
As the latest addition to the FINAL FANTASY series being developed for the PlayStation 5, FINAL FANTASY XVI has amassed a sizable team composed of talented creators from around the world. However, in an effort to offset the effects of COVID-19, we’ve had to decentralized 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.
That said, we have spent much of 2021 addressing this issue, and hope to see its impact to a minimum by the new year, allowing us to focus on the tasks at hand: increasing graphic resource quality, refining combat mechanics, fleshing out individual battles, putting the finishing touches on cutscenes, and conducting overall graphical optimization. Our primary goal now is to be as hands on with the game as possible in order to see it fully polished.
So that leaves us with the question, when can we expect the next round of information? Well, I am happy to announce the current plan is to conduct our next big reveal in Spring of 2022 as we seek to build excitement leading up to the game’s eventual release.
I deeply apologize to all those who have been looking forward to learning more about FINAL FANTASY XVI, and thank you for your continued patience while we focus our combined efforts on development.
-Naoki Yoshida, FINAL FANTASY XVI Producer
Final Fantasy XVI will release for the PlayStation 5.
Source: Final Fantasy XVI Twitter
