Final Fantasy 16: Release Date, Story, and Everything We Know

It's been six years since the last mainline installment in the not-so-final Final Fantasy series, making it one of the biggest gaps between games in the series' 35-year history. However, there seems to be a good reason for all that waiting. What we've seen of Final Fantasy XVI makes the game look like a high-fantasy epic that blends the grandeur of older games with the cutting-edge technology of newer ones, and it has us hopeful that this next entry will be worth the wait.

We got even more details thanks to a new look at Final Fantasy XVI during the summer showcase season and interviews with producer Naoki Yoshida. The game looks like an incredibly ambitious Final Fantasy title, with unique, larger-than-life battles and a story spanning decades. Here's everything we know about Final Fantasy 16.

When Is Final Fantasy 16's Release Date?

Final Fantasy 16 is planned to launch exclusively on PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023.

That said, it's worth noting the game won't be cross-generational, meaning PS4 owners will need to move to a PS5 to play it. Square Enix shared this news during the game's promotional trailer for this latest entry in the Final Fantasy saga, stating, "The following content was captured on PC emulating the PS5 experience," and "It will not be available on other platforms for some time."

Which Platforms Will Final Fantasy 16 Be On?

Rejoice, PC players! In the game's newest trailers, Square Enix not only confirmed that Final Fantasy XVI is coming to PC, but also gave details on how long the exclusivity window will last. According to a recent trailer, the PlayStation 5 exclusivity will end on December 31, 2023, or roughly six months after the game's initial release. While that doesn't mean Final Fantasy XVI will come to PC right away after that, we're grateful this window is much shorter than Final Fantasy 7 Remake's.

As for whether Final Fantasy 16 is coming to Xbox, there's been no confirmation from Square Enix yet. Given that a handful of Final Fantasy games are already on Xbox platforms, it wouldn't be too surprising. That said, we're still waiting on the Final Fantasy 7 Remake port so this could really go either way.

What Is Final Fantasy 16's Story?

From what we can gather from the trailer and the official website, there's conflict between the realms of the world of Valisthea and a series of political dramas, but there's also a focus on the Dominants. Dominants are a handful of special individuals who can wield the power of Eikons, called summons in the FFXVI world (and in FFXIV).

Judging by how the main character, Clive Rosfield, evolves from a flashy young man with a flashy haircut into a grizzled, gray-haired veteran with a scruffy beard and a scar tattoo on his face, it looks like you'll go through two distinct timelines in FFXVI's story. Yoshida told us the story will span three different periods: Clive as a teenager, in his 20s, and in his 30s.

Clive is the son of his kingdom's archduke and wields Eikon-related powers in battle, though he himself doesn't have to be a Dominant. He vows to protect his brother Joshua, who is destined to become a Dominant in his place. However, as shown in the trailer, Joshua couldn't control his Eikon — he summoned Phoenix after watching someone presumably important to him get killed before his eyes. These events are bookended by a battle between Phoenix and Ifrit that could be the tragedy (mentioned in the official character profiles) that drives Clive in FFXVI.

Yoshida told us that one of the main themes in FFXVI is a clash of values among many different people with different ideals who share the same space and are trying to decide together what's right and what's wrong.

"You'll focus on these motivations and struggles, and then delve into deeper and darker themes when it comes to how people should live — should people live the life chosen for them, or fight to escape that kind of fate?" he said.

Another character seen in the trailer is Jill Warrick, a young woman with grayish hair who accompanies Joshua. She's said to have a complicated life and to come from another realm. She was essentially adopted by the Rosfields and serves as a mediator between warring nations. She's said to be a trusted confidant for both Clive and Joshua.

Throughout the first trailer, you see other characters in battle and in conversations about the political turmoil that seems to be fueling the war in Valisthea. You see other iconic Eikons like Shiva and Titan used on the battlefield. It looks like Eikons and Dominants are akin to powerful weapons of war that shift the balance of power among the kingdoms of Valisthea. There's also a clash against a Dragoon wielding an armor-clad spear, said to be an Imperial Viper that shakes the characters, another staple element of the series.

FFXVI's world also revolves around Mothercrystals, which are said to bless the land with ether (essentially magic). However, a destructive force called The Blight is also affecting the world. It's worth keeping in mind that FFXVI's tagline is "The legacy of the crystals has shaped our history long enough." We're not sure exactly what that means, but it's provocative and could have something to do with what's happened to Valisthea.

FFXVI's first trailer was titled "Awakening" and offers four minutes of story, cutscenes, and gameplay. It also has a powerful orchestrated theme with several Final Fantasy touches, like the iconic Crystal Prelude. If we had to make a wild guess, it sounds a bit like composer Masayoshi Soken's work on FFXIV: Heavensward and suggests a similar tone.

The game's latest trailer aired at The Game Awards 2022 and is titled "Revenge." The trailer offers a look at the fast-paced action gameplay we saw in previous trailers, as well as the Espers players will find throughout their adventure, including Odin and Ifrit.

This will also be the first Final Fantasy game to receive an M rating, which Square Enix has said is a deliberate move to tell a more mature story.

Producer Naoki Yoshida said, "To make sure we could tell the story we wanted to tell the way we wanted to tell it, we decided to go with a mature rating in most of the regions where the game will be released. But again, that's not because we wanted to make the game more violent or explicit — it's because we felt we needed to allow ourselves to explore the more mature themes the game addresses."

How Do You Pre-Order Final Fantasy 16?

Final Fantasy XVI can be pre-ordered, but which bonuses you'll get with your purchase can be a bit unclear. Luckily, we're here to try to clear it all up.

Three different in-game items are available, but whether you can get them depends on both where you pre-order the game and which edition you choose. Nearly every retailer offers the Cat Sith Charm (which increases your rate of earning Gil) alongside the Braveheart weapon, but the Scholar's Glasses (which increase XP gain) are only available with the following editions:

• Collector's Edition
• Deluxe Edition (Digital)
• Standard Edition (Digital)

If you're looking for the most affordable way to buy Final Fantasy XVI, you can get the standard edition for $70. If you buy this edition from Best Buy, you'll also get a free steelbook case.

Final Fantasy XVI's deluxe edition sells for $100 and comes with a fabric world map of Valisthea and an exclusive Clive Rosfield steelbook case. It's worth noting the Clive Rosfield steelbook is different from the steelbook offered with Best Buy pre-orders, so buying from that retailer will actually get you two unique steelbooks.

Final Fantasy XVI's collector's edition costs $350, but it comes with plenty of collectible pieces that definitely justify the high cost. If you buy the Collector's Edition, you'll get the following in addition to the pre-order bonuses:

• Final Fantasy XVI base game
• Premium Statue — Phoenix vs. Ifrit
• Metal Eikon pin collection
• Exclusive Clive Rosfield steelbook
• Fabric world map of Valisthea
• Bonus in-game weapon: Blood Sword
• Digital mini art book
• Digital mini soundtrack
• The Realms of Valisthea wall posters (6-inch-tall printed fabric posters)
• Final Fantasy XVI pre-order steelbook