Final Fantasy 16 producer says PC players can expect a pre-release demo within a year

Square Enix has provided an update on the PC version of Final Fantasy 16.

In an interview with Game Informer, producer Naoki Yoshida reportedly said development was progressing smoothly, although the company isn’t yet ready to announce a release date.

“In terms of where we are in development currently, we’re trying to figure out the final stages of optimisation right now,” he said.

“When we can release the PC version might be dependent on that – the system requirements and specifications for PC that players will need, so we’re trying to figure that out. Naturally, [the PC specifications] are looking to be somewhat high.”

Square Enix is planning to release a PC demo ahead of the full game, likely within the next 12 months, he added.

”We’re looking to release a demo for the PC version as well”, Yoshida said. “Again, we can’t really talk about too much in terms of details of when it’s going to come out – I think in a little bit more time we’ll be in a better place to announce things.

“But one thing’s for sure: It won’t be too distant in the future; it won’t be a year, it won’t be two years, it will probably be shorter than that, so stay tuned.”

Final Fantasy 16 was released for PS5 last June and Square Enix officially announced plans for a PC version in September. The game’s first story DLC followed in December and its second expansion will launch this spring.

Yoshida also told Game Informer it’s unlikely there will be more Final Fantasy 16 DLC after the two announced expansions, although he wouldn’t rule it out entirely.

“My honest answer is, ‘I don’t know at the moment,’ but at the same time, the possibility isn’t entirely zero. I don’t want to bar out any real possibilities at this time. The reason being is that we did spend a lot of effort […] and time creating this game […] and we put a lot of cutting edge technology into this game.

“And because of that, we were able to gain a lot of experience, a lot of learnings, that we can possibly apply to our next project or title. So, my honest feeling is that the team does want to take on a new challenge and move on to a different project – maybe it’s a completely new game, perhaps in a completely new form of entertainment.

“I feel like ultimately, that might be the best route for not just the players, but for us as well, too. But again, to reiterate, the possibility of more DLC content for Final Fantasy XVI is not zero.”