14 DAY TRIAL // With the success of the Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy XIV, the time is ripe for the announcement of a brand new Final Fantasy game. Previous rumors suggested a new game in the beloved series should have been unveiled at Sony's PlayStation 5 event back in June, but Square Enix preferred to introduce Project Athia to the world.
Project Athia is a brand new IP, an open-world RPG that we know very little about. Even the very short teaser trailer showcased back in June doesn't show too much in terms of gameplay, although we did learn that the game is set in a high-fantasy world.
Now, as far as the new Final Fantasy game goes, a new rumor is running around these days, which claims Square Enix is set to reveal a new installment in the series this Wednesday. The rumor is based on the fact that Shinji Hashimoto, the brand manager for the Final Fantasy series retweeted Sony's official announcement about the 40-minute showcase happening on September 16.
Shinji Hashimoto supposedly retweets events where his games are presented, hence the rumor. Although Hashimoto has since deleted the retweet, we can't help but wonder why an innocent action like retweeting news about a worldwide event in the gaming industry would require such drastic measures.
Perhaps Hashimoto doesn't want us to get our hopes too high regarding the Final Fantasy franchise, or Square Enix does indeed plan to reveal a brand new game on Wednesday. If the latter is accurate, it's almost certain that the Japanese publisher will announce Final Fantasy XVI.
Sony confirmed it will offer updated news on its PlayStation 5 launch titles, as well as games from third-party partners that will be released this holiday season. Although the show weighs in at around 40 minutes, such an important title as Final Fantasy XVI will certainly find its place among the games showcased.