A recent change to the Final Fantasy 16 page on the PlayStation Store hints that the game may be getting a release date any day now. Despite the next Final Fantasy title being announced just under a year ago, FF16 has yet to be given any indication of a release date; fans simply know that it's set to release as a PlayStation 5 exclusive.
Final Fantasy 16 is a return to the fantasy genre for the series, moving it away from the focus on science fiction that has been seen in recent Final Fantasy games such as Final Fantasy VII Remake. The medieval-style setting and royal family seem to be at the core of the new game. Knights, castles and magic all take a major role in the title; instead of magic-fueled technology and advanced cities such as Midgar. Big swords, legendary summons, and fancy hair are all still in the game, all of which the Final Fantasy franchise is famous for.
The PlayStation Store page for the Final Fantasy 16 title recently underwent some changes (via Game Rant), including an update to the section on the page for the release date. Before the change, the page listed the release date as “TBC” (to be confirmed). Now the page states that the release date of the game is “coming soon”. Just what time period this is referencing is still unknown, but fans should take it as a good sign that the game is well underway, and more news should be coming soon.
While the information was updated on the PlayStation Store page, the official PlayStation site still states “TBC” for the game’s release. The website doesn’t seem to pull the information over from the PSN Store, so it must need to be updated manually.
The next update on Final Fantasy 16 will most likely be at the next Square Enix Presents, which has been scheduled for this summer, alongside other major gaming presentations. Recently, Square Enix announced a bunch of new information about some of its franchises and titles, but Final Fantasy 16 was not included in the announcements. Judging by this store page update, Square Enix is likely looking to at least mention the game or its current stage of development in the upcoming presentation.
While a release date may be in store for fans, it should be kept in mind that the game probably won't be coming very soon. A 2021 release would be far too soon, since the game was only announced in late 2020 and Final Fantasy titles are typically mammoth-sized projects which tend to be in development for several years. It’s still unknown just how long Final Fantasy 16 was in development at the point it was announced, so a 2022 release date is not out of the question.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for the PS5.
Source: PlayStation Store (via Game Rant)