Final Fantasy XVI‘s development has been delayed by “almost half a year,” says the game’s producer Naoki Yoshida in a recent statement to fans.
MORE: The Witcher Showrunner Talks Future of the Series & Spin-Offs
In a lengthy letter posted to the official Final Fantasy XVI Twitter account, Yoshida confirmed that due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the development of the game has hit a variety of snags, including delays and cancellation of asset deliveries from some of their outsourcing partners.
“When last we spoke, I promised I would have more information on Final Fantasy XVI sometime later in 2021,” said Yoshida. “However, I regret to inform you that I will be unable to keep that promise as complications stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have delayed the game’s development by almost a half year.”
https://twitter.com/finalfantasyxvi/status/1475335618905669635
However, Yoshida went on to say that they have spent much of 2021 finding ways to address the issues, and will look to begin working on tasks like “increasing graphic resource quality, refining combat mechanics, fleshing out individual battles, putting the finishing touches on cutscenes, and conducting overall graphical optimization” by the beginning of 2022. “Our primary goal now is to be as hands on with the game as possible in order to see it fully polished,” Yoshida said.
MORE: A Harry Potter MMO Was Canceled Over Lack of Faith in the Brand
Yoshida ended the statement by revealing that the current plan is to have a “big reveal” for Final Fantasy XVI in the spring of 2022. In the meantime, Yoshida apologized to fans who were hoping for more concrete information on the game, and thanked those who were excited for their patience regarding the matter.
Initially revealed during sony’s 2020 PS5 event, Final Fantasy XVI has no official release information, and judging by the huge delay the game saw due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s unknown when the title will be launch just yet.
