Summary
LegendaryFinal Fantasydeveloper Naoki Yoshida is giving fans hope that more entries will be released on Xbox going forward. Ever since the originalFinal Fantasy 7launched as a PlayStation exclusive back in 1997, theFinal Fantasyfranchise has been largely tied to Sony’s gaming brand. While a few games have been released on other platforms, most of the mainlineFinal Fantasytitles have remained exclusive to PlayStation hardware or, at the very least, haven’t been released on Xbox consoles. A prime example isFinal Fantasy 16, which has a PC port coming this September, yet no Xbox version in sight.
However, Square Enix might be looking to change this in the future. WhileFinal Fantasy 16game director Hiroshi Takai maintains that his team is focusing on the upcoming PC version first and foremost, he would like to see the newest addition to the franchise make the jump to the Xbox Series X/S at some point. Back in January, rumors spread thatMicrosoft was in talks with Square Enixto bringFinal Fantasy 7 Remaketo Xbox hardware, as its previous exclusivity deal with Sony expired years ago. Meanwhile,Final Fantasy 14was ported to Xbox Series X/S in March.
Naoki “Yoshi-P” Yoshida, thedirector behindFinal Fantasy 14and producer ofFinal Fantasy 16, recently spoke withEurogamerduring Gamescom 2024 about the possibility of more entries coming to Xbox consoles in the future. His words were encouraging to Xbox gamers, as he stated that Square Enix is looking to use the success ofFinal Fantasy 14as a starting point to “strengthen the community on Xbox towards theFinal Fantasyfranchise.” To this end, Square Enix wishes to bring more of its games to the Xbox Series X/S, including non-Final Fantasytitles.
Fans Might See More Final Fantasy Games on Xbox Soon
Earlier this year, Square Enix announced that it would pursue amore ‘aggressive’ multiplatform strategyin the wake of its recent financial troubles, which have caused the company to re-evaluate its previous commitment to timed PlayStation exclusives likeFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirthand its yet-untitled sequel. Meanwhile,Final Fantasy 14is one of Square Enix’s most profitable titles in recent memory, and Yoshi-P says that early response to the MMO’s Xbox release has been strong so far.
It seems that Square Enix hopes to replicate that success withfutureFinal Fantasygames, according to Naoki Yoshida’s latest statements at Gamescom 2024. Details about what to expect going forward are still sparse, but this is a promising sign for Xbox gamers who would like to play moreFinal Fantasytitlesand other hit Square Enix franchises.
