Final Fantasy 16 may be last numbered installment

According to Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy 16 might mark the last numbered entry in the Square Enix franchise.

Introduced in 1987, the first Final Fantasy game launched on the Nintendo Entertainment System. Since then, the JRPG series has continued to release installments in sequential numbers despite a different storyline.

Considering the Final Fantasy games are numbered, some prospective players assume they may have to play the series in order. However, that is not the case – gamers can start with whichever title they prefer.

Before Final Fantasy 16 comes out on June 22, 2023, producer Yoshida revealed the Square Enix franchise might ditch numbering installments. Here’s why Yoshi-P voted in favor of the potential policy.

Final Fantasy 16 may mark the end of an era

In an interview with GQ, Yoshida discussed how not numbering might help bring a more enormous fanbase. The magazine conducted the interview in celebration of Final Fantasy’s 35th anniversary

“That’s actually something that I’ve discussed with the higher-ups. Maybe it’s about time we removed the numbers from the title,” Yoshida said.

“For example, you have Final Fantasy 14. You get a new player coming in and it’s like, ‘Wait a minute, why do I have to play Final Fantasy 14 if 16 is out?’ Why don’t we just call it Final Fantasy Online – just get rid of the number altogether, and that’ll make it easier to understand. Whether Final Fantasy 17 or Final Fantasy 18 should have a number or not – that’s going to be on whoever has to develop that game and whoever’s in charge of the branding, so that’s their problem, not ours!”

Check out our article to find out how to pre-order Final Fantasy 16. There are several editions to choose from and various pre-order bonuses.