A Square Enix executive revealed that the company has big plans in store for Final Fantasy XV at the upcoming Gamescom, which will be held in Germany from Aug.22 to Aug. 26.
This is apparently why Final Fantasy XV was missing from E3 2017, as Square Enix pushed back major announcements for the RPG to later in the summer.
Final Fantasy XV Gamescom 2017
In the latest Active Time Report broadcast that served as a recap for E3 2017, Square Enix marketing manager Akio Ofuji revealed the reason why Final Fantasy XV was absent from the annual video game event.
"We held back a bit of information during E3," Ofuji said in the broadcast, as Square Enix is planning major announcements for Final Fantasy XV this summer.
Final Fantasy XV game director Hajime Tabata added that the development team has been very busy in preparation to make the announcements at Gamescom.
Gamescom is one of the biggest trade fairs for video games in the world and the largest one in Europe. Last year, titles that were unveiled at the annual event included Konami's multiplayer survival game Metal Gear Survive and Bethesda's assassination game Dishonored 2.
What Could Be Coming To 'Final Fantasy XV'?
The big question is: what could Square Enix be planning for Final Fantasy XV?
Final Fantasy XV has proven to be one of the best titles in the iconic Final Fantasy series, and Square Enix has provided the RPG with longevity through the various DLCs for the game.
In March, Square Enix released Episode Gladiolus, which focused on the party's strongman, and is planning to follow that up with Episode Prompto later this month. The upcoming DLC will feature the selfie-loving friend of Noctis, and will also include the return of fan favorite Aranea Highwind.
It should be safe to assume that Episode Ignis will be part of the announcements at Gamescom, as the episode featuring the group's resident chef will round out the DLCs that focus on the back stories of Noctis's team.
It is unclear what Square Enix has planned for Final Fantasy XV beyond Episode Ignis, which is expected to come later this year. Neither Ofuji nor Tabata provided any hints on the major announcements that are coming for the RPG, but the future of Final Fantasy XV will likely be front and center at Gamescom.
In a recent update, Square Enix added an in-game survey that asks players what they want to see added to Final Fantasy XV in the future. Among the options presented include new story content, additional playable characters, a Hard mode, and ability upgrades.
The results of the survey will likely be unveiled at Gamescom. Voting will conclude at the end of June, which will give Square Enix enough time to prepare something to show off at Gamescom on whatever option or options win the survey.
Square Enix could also be planning to release a closer look at the upcoming Comrades expansion pack, which is a multiplayer mode that will allow a group of four friends to work together to complete missions. The expansion has no release date yet, but Square Enix previously teased that it will come with a character creation tool.
