Final Fantasy is one of the longest-running numbered series in gaming, but with Final Fantasy XVI set to release next month, Square Enix may be rethinking its approach to its famous roman numerals.
In an interview with GQ UK, Final Fantasy XVI producer Naoki Yoshida was asked whether ditching numbers for future Final Fantasy games was ever considered.
“That's actually something that I've discussed with the higher-ups," Yoshida responded. "Maybe it's about time we removed the numbers from the title. 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.”
He continued: “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!”
Yoshida also mentioned that lots of new players go into the franchise and view it like a comic book where you have to read from the beginning to know what’s going on in the latest iterations. As a result, it’s difficult for marketing because with every single numbered title in the series, Square Enix has to clarify that players don’t have to play previous numbered games in order to understand the newest one.
Final Fantasy XVI launches on June 22 for PlayStation 5. In IGN’s Final Fantasy XVI preview, we said: “I went into my time with Final Fantasy 16 incredibly excited about what I’d seen in its many trailers and showcases and left very happy that very little of that anticipation had diminished by the time I’d finished.”
George Yang is a freelance writer for IGN. He's been writing about the industry since 2019 and has worked with other publications such as Insider, Kotaku, NPR, and Variety.
When not writing about video games, George is playing video games. What a surprise! You can follow him on Twitter @Yinyangfooey