Back in 2020, Square Enix announced Final Fantasy XVI. The game would be the next chapter in the company’s Final Fantasy franchise, so you can imagine that many gamers were undoubtedly very excited for it. The plan was that Square Enix would have more details to share in 2021, but given that we’re almost at the end of the year, that will not be happening.
In a tweet by the game’s producer Naoki Yoshida, it seems that the details fans were eagerly waiting for will now be delayed to 2022. According to Yoshida, this will take place in the spring of 2022 where they will be making a big reveal.
A message from Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida. #FF16 #FFXVI pic.twitter.com/qtfJUUp6LA
— FINAL FANTASY XVI (@finalfantasyxvi) December 27, 2021
The producer notes that the reason for the delay was due to the pandemic. “When we last spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021. However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise, as complications from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost half a year.”
It seems that Square Enix’s attempts to have its developers work from home has resulted in a disruption in their communications, which in turn caused delays and in some cases, even cancellations of certain asset deliveries which did not allow the company to share additional details as they had originally hoped.
The pandemic has no doubt caused huge disruptions in various industries, where factories were forced to temporarily shut down. Companies and people were also getting used to the work from home structure, which we imagine might be challenging for people who are used to being able to walk around the office and speak to colleagues.