Elden Ring is a unique case study in the ability of hype to exist around a game with little to nothing known about it. After Elden Ring’s reveal, the game went completely silent for an incredibly long time. Some were convinced it was a fever dream or that Elden Ring would never see the light of day—something that was no doubt complicated by the COVID-19 pandemic. But, still, fans began to make fake lore, get hyped for every event, and far more. Indeed, its release in the coming days has many Elden Ring fans worried about “dying” or missing out—still.
It's not the only game to be in these shoes, but it is by far one of the biggest and most anticipated. Starfield is yet another example, as fans were hyped before when only the name was known, and still very little is known. That hype train keeps going. And, it seems, Final Fantasy 16 is the next game to be Elden Ring or Starfield in terms of hype culture.
Final Fantasy 16 News Will Come in 2022…
Just like Elden Ring, if perhaps with more information, Final Fantasy 16 received an initial reveal trailer, released some details on the word and characters, and then vanished. This, again much like Elden Ring, was due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Fans do know that a showcase for Final Fantasy 16 will take place this year, but there’s no promise of a release date or anything like that. It could be gameplay, more cinematic trailers, and news, but to what degree and all of that remains to be seen.
And that’s okay. Just as Elden Ring fans have been able to sustain their own hype through fake lore and more, Final Fantasy 16 fans have been theorycrafting since day one: some believe Clive is Ifrit’s Dominant, some think Jill’s older form has been revealed, some think she’s Shiva’s dominant, and far more. These conversations have lasted since that very first reveal, and if nothing else, the upcoming showcase will dominate this conversation for quite some time.
On ResetEra, Bloomberg reporter Jason Schreier said he wouldn’t hold his breath for a Final Fantasy 16 release in 2022. The hype train continues onward, though. Many think of “hype culture” negatively, and Cyberpunk 2077 is a perfect example of that. But it’s hard to deny that “hype culture” has been beneficial for games throughout this pandemic and likely will continue to be for games like Final Fantasy 16.
Final Fantasy’s Pedigree, Final Fantasy 16, and 2022
Of course, that hype has to be for the right reasons, and it can make it harder for the game to live up to that hype. Looking at these, this is exactly what went wrong with Cyberpunk 2077’s launch. It’s gained back a lot of goodwill since then, but all of this hype was predicated on the belief and pedigree of developer CD Projekt Red—the creator of The Witcher. This is not a good or bad thing, as expecting great games from developers who make great games is logical. This hype around Elden Ring and Starfield follow the same logic—which are made by FromSoftware and Bethesda, respectively.
Final Fantasy 16’s current hype falls into a slightly different category. Yes, the publisher and developer behind it are important, but Final Fantasy as a franchise has more behind it than anything else. Even though some entries are not as great compared to others, each has amassed its own fan base. This is another example of hype culture, too.
Elden Ring is something different from even other Souls games, and Starfield is the first new IP from Bethesda in quite some time. So, developer pedigree carries them. But Elder Scrolls 6 has franchise and developer pedigree behind its hype, and that’s not going away anytime soon. Final Fantasy 16, at least in this regard, finds itself somewhere between Elden Ring and The Elder Scrolls 6, even if its marketing leans more toward the former.
At the end of the day, Final Fantasy 16 may not release in 2022, but that’s not an expiration date for its hype either.
Final Fantasy 16 is in development for PS5.
Source: Jason Schreier (via Resetera)
