Shinji Hashimoto, the brand manager for Final Fantasy and an executive producer at Square Enix, recently talked about the long-running video game franchise at the Lucca Comics & Games 2016 convention in Italy.
Hashimoto revealed several tidbits regarding current and upcoming Final Fantasy games, including the direction that the franchise is headed into the future.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
There have been rumors floating around that the highly anticipated Final Fantasy VII Remake will have a release date some time in 2017, but according to Hashimoto, with Square Enix not yet making an official announcement, these rumors should be taken with a grain of salt for now.
Hashimoto did state that Square Enix is working hard on the game though, and requests for fans to be patient while the company looks to release more information regarding the title.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
Similar to the Final Fantasy VII Remake, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age also does not yet have an official release date. The announcement for the launch date of the HD remaster of Final Fantasy XII should be coming soon though, especially as 2016 marks the game's 10th anniversary.
Final Fantasy XIII
Three titles have been released for Final Fantasy XIII, and Square Enix feels that the results that it has received have been sufficient. This likely means that there will be no further games for Final Fantasy XIII, though Hashimoto added that due to the popularity of Lightning, the game's protagonist, Square Enix will be looking to continue fostering her character in the future,
Final Fantasy X-3
The Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was a success, and the audio drama included in the bundle hinted that a Final Fantasy X-3 could be in the works. However, due to director/character designer Tetsuya Nomura and producer/director Yoshinori Kitase both busy working on the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Kingdom Hearts III, there is simply no chance for them to think about Final Fantasy X-3.
Hashimoto noted the popularity of Yuna and Tidus cosplays at the Lucca Comics & Games 2016 convention though, adding that the story between the two Final Fantasy X protagonists is something that Square Enix wants to keep going.
Final Fantasy XVI
According to Hashimoto, there is currently nothing planned at all for Final Fantasy XVI, revealing that Square Enix begin the creation of the main games in the franchise from scratch. While Final Fantasy XV fuses a fantasy setting into a modern world, Final Fantasy XVI will not necessarily follow the same formula.
The director of Final Fantasy XVI will dictate the overall direction of the game, including the battle system that will best fit with the current generation of the installment.
Final Fantasy XV
Talking about Final Fantasy XVI could already be looking too far ahead though, as most gamers are still excited about the launch of Final Fantasy XV, which spent 10 years in the making.
Final Fantasy XV is scheduled to be released on Nov. 29 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
