Jedi: Survivoris here,Tears of the Kingdomhas joined it, but 2023’s summer of blockbuster video games isn’t slowing up just yet, not even close. One of the next biggest games coming very soon isFinal Fantasy 16, and it seemsSquare Enixis already looking past its next massive release, citing plans to launch large-scale games on a more regular basis moving forward.
The reveal that Square Enix wants to up the frequency with which it releases big games comes courtesy ofthe studio’s latest financial briefing(thanks,GamesRadar). In the briefing, Square notes that it wants to launch more games with a global appeal and that it wants to create a pipeline that will allow those titles to be developed and released on a more regular basis.
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The goal appears to be to have its popular MMOs, withFinal Fantasy 14topping that particular bill, bring in more money so that revenue can then be invested in big new projects, referred to as HD games internally. That doesn’t necessarily mean Square Enix is going to take a leaf out ofCall of Duty’s book and launch a new flagshipFinal Fantasygame every 12 months, although we are getting two in a single calendar year and that’s not even including the pixel remaster collection. 2023 really is going to be non-stop, isn’t it?
It also doesn’t mean popular games not quite on the same scale as Final Fantasy 16, likePowerWash SimulatorandOctopath Traveler 2, are going to suffer. In fact, both of those titles fall under Square’s HD banner, so we will hopefully see more from both series and others like them moving forward. While there might not be a year between games, it could mean the gap between Final Fantasys 16 and 17 is shorter than some might expect. There have been two six-year gaps between the last new numbered titles, a timespan Square seems keen on reducing.
Despite launching two months after a majorStar Warsgame, and a month afterthe best game of all time according to OpenCritic’s current score, the hype for Final Fantasy 16 has been pretty high. That being said, even Final Fantasy 14’s director was playing Tears of the Kingdom this weekend,showing off their OLED Switch during a test stream. As for what we know Square has next on the big games front,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthwill be here before the end of the year, and bothKingdom Hearts 4andDragon Quest 12are also on their way with no announced release dates.
