This article contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 16.After several years of lead-up, Final Fantasy 16 is finally in players’ hands. The newest numbered entry in the long-running Final Fantasy franchise comes from Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit 3, a studio best known for handling the award-winning Heavensward expansion for Final Fantasy 14. Many were excited by the pedigree going into Final Fantasy 16, and it seems to have lived up to the hype. With the franchise’s best crack at action combat yet and some of the most epic boss battles in RPG history, Final Fantasy 16 seems like another hit for the classic RPG series.
Its tale isn’t finished yet, either. The game just got a major free update, and producer Naoki Yoshida announced at Pax West 2023 that both a PC port and two paid DLC episodes are on their way. Supposedly, the DLC began development in response to players wishing to spend more time with Valisthea and its inhabitants, which might be a clue to what their contents will entail. Fans have already been theorizing about potential Final Fantasy 16 DLC since shortly after its launch, and certain requests feel especially likely to bear fruit.
Find Leviathan’s Missing Dominant
Anyone who has reached the later parts of Final Fantasy 16 is familiar with Leviathan the Lost, an oddity in the Eikon-centric world of Valisthea. This Eikon of Water vanished long ago, and now only rare records document that it even existed. Leviathan is easy to pin as the main subject of one of Final Fantasy 16's DLC packs, and some fans even suspect they have already seen the Leviathan Dominant in the form of the recurring NPC Kihel. Regardless of who or where Leviathan is, players are well-justified in anticipating its appearance and moveset for Clive as DLC.
Playing as Party Members
While Final Fantasy 16 did avoid some pre-release concerns that there would be no traditional RPG party at all, what's there could be more developed. There is plenty of room for the supporting cast at Cid's Hideaway and even the enemy Dominants to get both more screen time and story developments. It would probably be best if the DLC took Clive out of the spotlight in favor of FF16's other major players like Jill, Cid, and Joshua. Making some or all of these companions playable in short scenarios like FF15's own DLC would go a long way toward making FF16 more memorable.
Explore More of Valisthea
For a game so occupied with travel and politics, there's still a surprising amount of ground left in Valisthea to explore. Among the major nations, the Iron Kingdom, the Crystalline Dominion, and the Free Cities of Kanver all have a single main quest to their name and zero presence in FF16's open fields. Even the Blight-covered northlands that Jill hails from are barely referenced. Retaking her birthplace, and potentially dealing with some fights with restricted Eikon abilities, could make for an interesting DLC.
Add Bonus Content
Alongside the larger paid additions, FF16's DLC could split some of its lesser content between itself and more free updates. More hunts, maps, Chronolith Trials, and side quests could be part of the DLC, while quality of life improvements like side quest or hunt boards in the pause menu, more fast travel points, and even instant Final Fantasy mode access would preferably come in patches. Perhaps the best thing FF16 DLC could add is a second primary weapon for Clive, which should have its own Eikon loadout when switched to. This might come too late in Final Fantasy 16's life to matter, but it and some harder content in the DLC would give diehard fans good reasons to keep playing.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now on PS5 and is coming soon for PC.
