Final Fantasy 16 returns with a new trailer and 2023 release date

A new trailer for Final Fantasy 16 has shown off more gameplay from the upcoming RPG and confirmed a Summer 2023 release window.

Revealed as part of Sony‘s State of Play the trailer began with characters talking about an impending war, before showing off some combat.

The game also seems to feature large-scale battles, with massive summons battling high above the city.

Producer Naoki Yoshida wrote: “In previous interviews and updates, we didn’t delve too deep into details about the game system, but hopefully with this preview, you all were able to get a better picture of what actual gameplay will entail…

“Namely, high-octane battles featuring our protagonist Clive Rosfield wielding a full arsenal of attacks unique to the game’s many Eikons (summons). Not to mention epic clashes between the Eikons themselves that put you right in the action.”

He added: “The team, under direction of Hiroshi Takai, has entered the final leg of development and is focusing on polish as they continue their march toward master up and launch. I, for one, would like to personally thank them for all the hard work they’ve put into the project.

“With the power of the PlayStation 5 behind us, we’re looking to take you on a seamless, story-driven, white-knuckle ride that will rival even the most thrilling roller-coaster. So buckle up, the wait is almost over!”

Final Fantasy XVI producer Yoshida recently claimed that the game is near the end of development. That’s after he said last December that Final Fantasy XVI’s development had fallen almost half a year behind schedule.

With staff forced to work from home, he said the Covid-19 pandemic had led to unexpected production issues. “This has unfortunately hampered communication from the Tokyo office, which, in turn, has to led to delays in—or in extreme cases, cancellations of—asset deliveries from our outsource partners,” he said.

“That said, we have spent much of 2021 addressing this issue and hope to see its impact to a minimum by the new year, allowing us to better focus on the tasks at hand: increasing graphic resource quality, refining combat mechanics, fleshing out individual battles, putting the finishing touches on cutscenes, and conducting overall graphical optimization.

“Our primary goal is now to be as hands on with the game as possible in order to see it fully polished.”