Square Enix is gearing up to officially announce the release date for “Final Fantasy XV” later this month, but it looks like the announcement may have leaked early. Gematsu is reporting that sources have reached out to them claiming that the release date for Xbox One and PS4 will be September 30.
It was noted that three different sources reached out and all of the sources are reliable, but that the release date should simply be treated as a rumor for now. One way or another the release date will be confirmed on March 30 when Square Enix holds their “Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV” event in Los Angeles. The event will air at 7pm PDT and Square will have a live stream available for people that can’t attend.
The event looks like it’s going to be a big one for Square and they’ve promised a few key surprises. They even invited Miss Universe Pia Wurtzbach herself who happens to be a huge Final Fantasy fan.
@FinalFantasy omg… I just died. Phoenix down please!!!
— Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach (@PiaWurtzbach) February 16, 2016
We’ll have to wait and see if she attends.
“Final Fantasy XV” has been 10 years in the making for Square Enix. It was originally announced back in 2006 as a game called “Final Fantasy Versus XIII.” The game was to be part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation. Tetsuya Namura revealed to Famitsu back in 2013 that the idea for transform the game was made only a year or two into development.
“Around one or two years after we announced FF Versus 13, it was suggested to us to shift to FF15 as part of the company’s direction. By that time, a fair amount of time had already passed since the announcement and Versus was a well-known title, so it wasn’t a given that this would be 15; it could have still been Versus. Personally, I came to accept the idea once FF Agito 13‘s name was changed to Final Fantasy Type-0.” Nomura said.
Fans of the Final Fantasy series have been disgruntled with the franchise for quite some time now. Many fans were underwhelmed by “Final Fantasy XII” and it was followed up by “Final Fantasy XIII” which is one of the most disliked entries in the series. But with “Final Fantasy XV” and the “Final Fantasy VII” remake on the way, Square has a chance to get back in the good graces of the fans.
Gameplay for “Final Fantasy XV” has been promising so far with the “Episode Duscae” demo being especially encouraging. It’s more action based than previous mainline titles, but it still manages to feel like Final Fantasy. Hopefully this will be the game that helps the franchise make a successful transition to current generation consoles.
You can check out some gameplay footage below and be sure to check back here on March 30 for coverage of the “Uncovered: Final Fantasy” live stream.
