Square Enix has quite the 2022 up its sleeve as gamers look towards a myriad of game experiences from the company such as Forspoken and Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin. However, one game players haven't heard much news on in a while, Final Fantasy 16, doesn't appear to be on the company's immediate plans, which is sure to dishearten some fans. A recent article post from Square Enix detailed a number of upcoming titles for the 2022 slate but unfortunately Final Fantasy 16 does not appear to be one of them.
In a year that will seem to be fruitful for the company with the launch of games such as Forspoken, Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin, Babylon's Fall, and Life is Strange Remastered Collection, it is strange to see that Final Fantasy 16 has been omitted. In an article on Square Enix's website all the previously mentioned games appear except for Final Fantasy 16. News has been scarce since the game's unveiling in 2020 and since then, fans have only found out that Final Fantasy 16 is indeed getting a news drop sometime in the beginning of 2022.
Square Enix also shared that Final Fantasy 16 was delayed internally by half a year due to problems with the ongoing pandemic, so where that places the release of Final Fantasy 16 on the timeline is anyone's guess. However, Square Enix did state that the next time Final Fantasy 16 is shown publicly, the game will be near a release date as it doesn't want a myriad of public delays to sour perception of the title. This is a tactic many companies have been leaning towards as of late, as Square Enix did this exact thing with Guardians of the Galaxy, unveiling it in June 2022 and then releasing it in October.
A curious note within the article on Square Enix's website does lay claim to the fact that the company will also have some surprises in store over the next 12 months, and that the games listed are just the tip of the iceberg for 2022. It will remain to be seen if one of these surprises is indeed the re-reveal and release of Final Fantasy 16.
Sony has also recently shared an article on upcoming PS4 and PS5 games coming in 2022 from first-and-third-party studios and Final Fantasy 16 seemed strangely missing from that list too. Hopefully, the game is slated for later in 2022 and fans can get their hands on the title soon enough.
Final Fantasy 16 is currently in development for PC and PS5.
Source: Square Enix