Final Fantasy XVI details world and protagonist, as familiar characters and elements return

Square Enix has shared some new Final Fantasy XVI details during an interview with Japanese magazine Famitsu (translated by Twitter user aitaikimochi). The details give us a better look into the new protagonist of the game and learn who he actually is as the debut trailer wasn’t very clear on that front.

The protagonist is Joshua’s knight, we learn, who must defend him at all costs. Joshua is the young prince we saw in action in the trailer and is capable of using fire to heal wounds; hence he’s also called “the phoenix.”

The trailer sees summons Ifrit and Phoenix clashing to make up the logo of the game, and the protagonist saying, “Stop, stop it! He’s my younger brother!” which could also mean Joshua and his knight might be relatives.

Final Fantasy XVI features other summons, of course, and those include Shiva and Titan. Those are not the only returning elements and characters from past chapters, since enemy Malboro, Chocobo, and job Dragoon will be back as well.

As for the setting, in this world, humans need crystals to survive, and this has led to strife over the “Mother Crystal,” we’ll learn more about throughout the story.

Producer Naoki Yoshida has shared that the next announcement about the game will be shared in 2021. Considering that the development process is well underway, there’s a chance that we’ll get to learn about the release date for the title next year.