With the next generation consoles just around the corner, fans of Square Enix are itching to know more about the fabled Final Fantasy 16. Unfortunately, looking deeper into this theoretical title paints a not so pleasant picture which hints that the game may still be several years away. It's worth noting that this is all purely conjecture, as Square Enix has made no official announcements about a new main entry Final Fantasy game. Instead, looking at leaks, rumors, and prior history of the franchise can help put things into perspective so fans have at least some idea of what to expect in the future.
Though Square Enix has been very active with titles like Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered, there's been no word about a Final Fantasy 16. Rumors run rampant, but most of them seem to be proven wrong within months of surfacing, which does no good in lending to their credibility. With all the misinformation floating around now, many fans are simply confused about what the actual status of the game is. The truth is that no one knows, but a deep dive into the facts reveals it may be best to keep expectations lower for now.
Final Fantasy Release Schedule
Taking a look at Final Fantasy's recent history puts the status of Final Fantasy 16 in perspective. It's worth going as far back as Final Fantasy 10, as that was the first main entry in the franchise to release on the PS2 back in 2001. Final Fantasy 11 and 14 are sort of the black sheep of the family, as they were MMOs, but Final Fantasy 12 saw the second and final mainline Final Fantasy game of the PS2 generation. From there, Final Fantasy 13 was the only PS3 entry (again excluding FF 14), and Final Fantasy 15 was the only PS4 game in the main series.
With that in mind, it seems that Square Enix is focusing on essentially one, potentially two, major titles for each console. Spin offs, remasters, and remakes will likely continue being made at their current pace, but Square Enix's numerous development teams means that those things are unlikely to interfere with the production of Final Fantasy 16. All of this is to say that it is probably a safe bet to say that the next installment of Final Fantasy will release on PS5 and possibly other next gen consoles as well, but that still leaves the question of when exactly.
Final Fantasy 16 Rumors
Consider that a PlayStation console's lifespan is typically seven or more years, that Square Enix has made no promises to release Final Fantasy 16 towards the beginning of that cycle, and that it seems development hasn't started on the game yet. These titles often take years to develop, with Final Fantasy 15 infamously being stuck in development for a decade, so unless Square Enix is already working on it under a different name, it will take some time before it's released.
Recent rumors claimed Final Fantasy 16 would be announced this summer, but instead Square Enix announced Project Athia. Though it is theoretically possible that this title is Final Fantasy 16, it seems highly unlikely given the general feel of the trailer. There are also rumors of a new project being made by Naoki Yoshida, the one responsible for salvaging Final Fantasy 14, but very little is known about this as well. The bottom line is that all of these rumors are completely unsubstantiated, and the release pattern of previous titles supports the possibility that fans may have to wait years for another main entry game. Hopefully that isn't true and Final Fantasy 16 is announced soon, but it may be wise to temper expectations in the mean time.
Final Fantasy 16 is unannounced.