Game delays are painful enough without happening multiple times. The Square Enix title Forspoken, originally announced to be released this month, was bumped back to October a few months back. Now, a seemingly credible rumor is taking root connecting the new IP with another huge Square Enix title slated for a 2022 release–Final Fantasy XVI.
Earlier this month, Final Fantasy producer Naoki Yoshida announced that a new trailer for XVI was complete. As exciting as the news was, fans were quick to question why this mysterious trailer hadn’t been shown. Industry insider Nick Baker might have uncovered the answer during a new episode of the XboxEra podcast. Baker has heard that Forspoken might be facing another delay, but not for development reasons. If Forspoken and Final Fantasy XVI release too close together, there’s no doubt that Final Fantasy would destroy Forspoken‘s sales. That’s the power of a 35-year history and name recognition.
This, of course, implies that Final Fantasy XVI really will be coming towards the end of 2022. While exciting for longtime fans, those looking forward to exploring the new world of Forspoken are understandably frustrated. All in all, only time will tell what Square Enix is planning.
Earlier this month, Final Fantasy XVI’s producer announced that the game was nearly complete and a new trailer would be revealed soon. In January, Yoshida took to social media to address fans regarding the game’s delayed development, explaining that the title was pushed back nearly half a year due to the pandemic. The game’s first trailer was shown during the PlayStation 5 event in 2020 with very few details leaked since. Final Fantasy XVI is expected to release during 2022–now more than ever–for the PlayStation 5.
Forspoken was originally scheduled to release tomorrow, May 24, but was delayed until October 11 in March. One of the most highly-anticipated console exclusives scheduled to release this year, pushing it out of 2022 would be a shame–but Square Enix would be wise to not drop two massive titles at once. As long as gamers have one or the other, it will be a nice holiday season.