No one knows exactly when Final Fantasy news will next strike, but it seems like FF16 and 7 Remake Part 2 could share the spotlight this June.
After another year, the E3 season is upon the game industry once again. Even though E3 will not be running in 2022, a slew of conferences and livestreams will still be taking place around the same time the trade show normally would. Whether they intend to watch live or not, gamers around the world are looking forward to the events gradually being announced for the summer. There's no telling what could appear at the various shows, and with rumors swirling for everything from new Silent Hill games to a Bloodborne remaster, the air feels alive with possibility.
One company to look out for is Square Enix. This Japanese publisher and developer recently sold off most of its Western development studios and IPs to Embracer Group to make room for new technology and monetization initiatives. What this means for fans is that any appearances from Square Enix will most likely be focused on their Japanese games, quite a lot of which are known about right now. Final Fantasy 16 is expected to appear at a gaming event in the immediate future, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s developers have declared that they want to show something from the upcoming FF7R Part 2. There's still a lot unknown about both projects, but Final Fantasy 16 resurfacing could be great news for 7 Remake.
RELATED: How Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 Gameplay May Differ From the First Game
Even without knowing the plot of the game, the story of Final Fantasy 16 is already fascinating. After the mainline Final Fantasy development team began to shift frequently around the PS3 era, the quality of the products being put out became a dice roll. While Square Enix wouldn't let anything bad sport the numbered FF name, a combination of staff changes alongside hardware growing pains had a noticeable impact. The PS3 was notoriously difficult to develop on, and Square Enix’s experiments with proprietary engines didn’t help matters. FF13 sparked some concern, but things really came to a head at the launches of Final Fantasy 14 and 15. They each came out shockingly rough, and had to be salvaged through years of updates.
Final Fantasy 16 could mark the start of a new era in the hands of an old team. Thanks to the passion and hard work of director Naoki Yoshida and Creative Business Unit 3, the rebooted Final Fantasy 14 became one of Square Enix's most lucrative products. For the past few years, Final Fantasy 16 has been made mostly in secret by a team of trusted FF14 Heavensward developers, with Yoshida acting as producer. The game was revealed shortly before the ninth generation console launch, accompanied by a surprising amount of information on the world of Valisthea. The ongoing pandemic forced a six-month delay, but Yoshida promised there would be a trailer in spring 2022 and recently stated that said trailer and most of the game were finished.
RELATED: Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 16 Seem Like Completely Different Franchises
That's great news, and inspires confidence that FF16 will be released in the near future. It feels like a new development for Square Enix, which has come to be known as a developer that struggles to set release dates. Final Fantasy 15, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake were all announced before they had even started full development, and ended up taking a long time to come out. Final Fantasy 15 emerged from the unrealized project that was Final Fantasy Versus 13, and Kingdom Hearts 3 wound up showing most of its content over several years in an effort to stay relevant. The FF7 Remake still took years to come out after it was announced, but it didn't take as long as the other examples, and it only resurfaced when it had something noteworthy to reveal.
That brings fans’ attention to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, which is set to adapt the portion of the original game after Midgar. Pre-production on the project has already started, though it's difficult to say when the game will be ready. Final Fantasy 7 Remake is both an expansion and partial rewrite of the PS1 original, featuring new elements that significantly impact the course of the story. Remake Part 2’s story could go just about anywhere, and the planned teaser for June 2022 may hint at such. Whatever theories they have, however, fans do agree on one point: Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 is not releasing before Final Fantasy 16 and Forspoken. Even though different teams are handling all three projects, the latter two are clearly farther ahead.
To be clear, FF7 Remake Part 2 should not rush itself out the door. The Final Fantasy franchise is in a generally good place at the moment, but the mainline games don't have as great a reputation as they used to. Fan confidence needs to be restored by a resounding success, and Final Fantasy 16 has the chance to provide that. Worries about the direction Final Fantasy 7 Remake is going in could be abated by an impressive new FF title. Even in a trade show or online conference, a good showing for FF16 would prime viewers to receive 7 Remake as well.
In addition, Final Fantasy 16 has to prove how impressive Square Enix's next-gen exclusive output can be. Even though it will be released near the beginning of the generation, the technology on display could carry over to other Square Enix projects. If nothing else, seeing what may turn out to be an open world in FF16 would silence a lot of concerns for the expected world map in 7 Remake Part 2. It's been a while since Final Fantasy has seen a truly outstanding world to explore, and 16 sporting one will, again, build confidence. As different as Final Fantasy 16 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2 are, they both share the same brand, and one doing well will benefit the other. If nothing else, having a Final Fantasy game to latch onto will make the wait for FF7R Part 2 a little easier.
Final Fantasy 16 is currently in development for PS5.
MORE: Rumor: Forspoken Could be Delayed Again if Final Fantasy 16 Releases This Year
Liam is a Features writer for Game Rant. He has been a passionate game enthusiast since a young age, and graduated from Brock University with a BA in Interactive Arts and Sciences. He has a preference for melee-focused action games, and loves to analyze mechanics. He combines that with his interest in writing, and uses his broad industry knowledge to talk about a wide variety of games.