Final Fantasy 16 Has Already Completed "Basic Development", Says Square Enix

The appearance of Final Fantasy XVI during last month's PlayStation 5 showcase might have come as a surprise, especially considering how much in-game footage was shown off of the new mainline entry. It seems progress on the project is potentially much further than you might expect, too, with Square Enix saying basic development has completed.

In a new recruitment page for Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix mentions that basic development and scenario production for the sequel have wrapped up, with the team now seeking recruits to ramp up large-scale resources and specific set-pieces.

"We have already completed basic development and scenario production, and are continuing to create large-scale resources and build boss battles while expanding our various development tools,” the page reads. "Also, most of our staff are carrying out their work remotely."

With no real standardized way of talking about game development, it's difficult to determine exactly what "basic development" means in the context of Square Enix's process. What can be concluded is that the basic outline of what Final Fantasy XVI will become has been settled, letting the development team presumably focus on all the details to bring that vision to life in the months to come.

Final Fantasy XVI will launch exclusively on PlayStation 5, with a timed-exclusivity deal between Sony and Square Enix. The reveal trailer initially mentioned PC as a release platform too, before it was removed shortly after. This is similar to the deal with this year's Final Fantasy VII Remake, which will apparently come to other platforms once the deal has expired.