A placeholder Twitter account for Final Fantasy XVI has emerged, suggesting that Square Enix might be looking to announce the game in the near future. The Japanese company is yet to announce a new Final Fantasy game, with the studio instead continuing work on the MMO Final Fantasy XIV and its most recent hit, Final Fantasy VII RemakeI. The last entry in the mainline series came in 2016 with the release of Final Fantasy XV.
Rumors of a main sequel in the form of Final Fantasy XVI have been circulating for some time. There has even been speculation that former Devil May Cry 5 developer Ryota Suzuki may have a leading part in the role-playing game. This has led some to suggest that the sequel could have a more action-oriented combat system inspired by the hack-and-slash title. But there has been no official confirmation about whether Suzuki is even working on the Final Fantasy franchise.
A Twitter account with the handle FF16_JP has been set up on the social media site. This could indicate that Square Enix is looking to secure the username for future use or even to announce Final Fantasy 16 in the coming weeks. The account is currently locked, preventing anyone from following or interacting with it. However, there are some important things to consider in regards to whether the account is genuine or not. The handle does not seem to match other official Final Fantasy Twitter handles, which normally don't have underscores in the username. But that is not the case for all accounts, as the official Final Fantasy XIV handle is @FF_XIV_EN and contains underscores.
Of course, relying entirely on what appears to be placeholder Twitter accounts is a risky strategy. Although some games are leaked early through accounts that publishers or developers set up months in advance of an official reveal, there have been some mishaps. One notable example came in July of this year when a Twitter account that fans hoped had been created for the F-Zero series turned out to be an elaborate troll. The first and only post from the handle contained a NSFW pornographic animation, revealing that this was just a prank.
Considering the recent success of the Final Fantasy series, fans will likely be very happy to see a new game announced. Especially when the last mainline entry came four years ago. With the release of next-gen consoles on the horizon, it would also make sense for Square Enix to announce Final Fantasy XVI in the coming weeks or months. While placeholder Twitter accounts are not 100% trustworthy, the fact that this handle is locked could give it some extra credibility.
Source: Twitter