There is so much that goes into making a new game. That is especially true when the title is a part of a major franchise like Final Fantasy.
The gaming industry, like all businesses, has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Square Enix, the game maker, had allowed many of its employees to begin working from home. With people spread far apart, though, communication became more difficult. And now that difficulty is responsible for the delay of Final Fantasy XVI.
Users have been eagerly anticipating any news of the game. And today, producer Naoki Yoshida gave it to them, tweeting, “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.”
Yoshida attacked a more lengthy statement to the tweet. He told fans, “We have spent much of 2021 addressing this [pandemic] issue, and hope to see its impact to a minimum by the new year, allowing us to better focus on the tasks at hand: increasing graphic resource quality, refining combat mechanics, fleshing out individual battles, putting the finishing touches on cutscenes, and conducting overall graphic optimization.”
Fans will soon be paid back for their patience. A new reveal of the game will be released in the Spring of 2022. A date for the game’s official release has yet to be announced.
