Although many fans of the franchise are perhaps looking forward to Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 2, Square Enix is a large company with multiple projects in the works. Many hope that Final Fantasy 16 is among them, as due to Final Fantasy 15 being released 4 years ago, many fans may be looking for something new.
According to a recently discovered Twitter account, it’s possible that Final Fantasy 16 is closer to reveal than many would think. A new Twitter account has been discovered online that seemingly bears a Square-Enix email address (as is the same style of its website), and it seems it was just made recently: August 2020. The Twitter account is titled Final Fantasy XVI and has a FF16_JP handle, making it all seem rather legit.
However, there’s a couple of things to note. This is by no means a confirmation of anything, as anyone out there with Internet access can make a fake Twitter account. It has happened before to the dismay of many. On the other hand, Twitter accounts can exist privately for years in order to prepare a social media presence for the game whenever the company is ready. For example, Microsoft pointed out that recent Twitter profiles for Fable and Perfect Dark were around for years, meaning those who tied those to new announcements were probably just lucky when Fable was actually announced.
Some think that Final Fantasy 16 may already be out there, meaning that this Twitter account is likely preparing for the proper announcement. Many think that Square Enix’s recently announced Project Athia (confirmed to just be a code name) is actually Final Fantasy 16, and while that’s not impossible, it is incredibly unlikely. Square Enix made it clear that Project Athia was a new IP, and while it could bear resemblances to a Final Fantasy game, it would be a very odd one. It’s not impossible that it’s a bit of a bait-and-switch, but fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
Instead, it seems likely that this account could tease an upcoming, legitimate reveal, especially with the conspicuous timing of August 2020. Some think that another PS5 event is taking place on September 9, putting the creation of this Twitter account and that rumored event awfully close together. If the PS5 event is confirmed relatively soon, many may highlight a Final Fantasy 16 reveal as a big expectation, but regardless, until Square Enix comments on this Twitter account, it may be best to temper expectations.
Final Fantasy 16 has not been officially announced.
