The stage was set at the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Fest 2023 when Game Director Naoki Yoshida welcomed both Xbox Head Phil Spencer and Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu for the long-awaited announcement of Final Fantasy 14 heading to Xbox consoles.
The crowd felt the excitement, hinting at bigger things to come. However, one burning question remained, and a recent interview addressed the possibility of console exclusives like Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Xbox consoles.
According to Phil Spencer, the final decision would be made by Square Enix.
Why it matters: Final Fantasy has been away from the Xbox platform for several years, with the last major release being in 2016 with Final Fantasy 15.
While talking to IGN at Gamescom 2023, Spencer said:
“I RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN PEOPLE BUY AN XBOX, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THE GREAT GAMES THEY WANT TO PLAY ARE COMING.”
Xbox and Square Enix have been talking, but there are some tricky business aspects to sort out for certain games. However, Spencer was pleased with Square Enix’s dedication to Xbox.
Having the CEO of a big third-party developer confirm their commitment to Xbox was a major achievement for the gaming giant. It showed Square Enix values delivering top-notch gaming experiences to the Xbox community.
Phil Spencer assured that fans would hear more about the fate of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 16 on Xbox in due course. However, he clarified that it is up to Square Enix whether they want to bring those titles to Xbox, and said:
“SO YOU’LL HEAR MORE. I’M NOT GOING TO PUSH THEM. THEY (SQUARE ENIX) ARE GOING TO HAVE TO FIND THEIR OWN RHYTHM.”
Final Fantasy 7 Remake first came out on PS4 in April 2020. It got another upgraded version on PS5 and PC in 2021. However, there is no official information about a potential Xbox release.
Likewise, Final Fantasy 16 has been exclusive to PS5 since its launch, and a PC version is planned. However, Square Enix has not said anything about an Xbox version.
During the recent FTC vs. Microsoft trial, it was revealed that Xbox had thought about buying Square Enix in 2019. This trial highlighted Square Enix’s importance in the gaming world, especially with PlayStation’s exclusive deals for games like Final Fantasy 16.
While these games on Xbox seemed far-fetched a few months ago, recent developments have led to hope for the popular JRPG entries arriving to millions of users on Xbox consoles.
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