<s>
is	O
an	O
upcoming	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
sixteenth	O
main	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
,	O
it	O
is	O
scheduled	O
for	O
release	O
on	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2023	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
as	O
a	O
timed	O
exclusive	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
is	O
set	O
on	O
Valisthea	O
,	O
a	O
world	O
divided	O
between	O
six	O
nations	O
who	O
hold	O
power	O
through	O
access	O
to	O
magical	O
Crystals	O
and	O
Dominants	O
,	O
humans	O
who	O
act	O
as	O
hosts	O
for	O
each	O
nation	O
's	O
Eikon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
in	O
which	O
players	O
take	O
control	O
of	O
protagonist	O
Clive	O
Rosfield	O
and	O
a	O
rotating	O
party	O
of	O
AI-controlled	O
companions	O
through	O
segmented	O
open	O
areas	O
across	O
the	O
continents	O
of	O
Valisthea	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Recurring	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
elements	O
,	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
galliform	O
Chocobo	O
and	O
monster	O
types	O
,	O
are	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
world	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
is	O
set	O
on	O
Valisthea	O
,	O
a	O
world	O
split	O
between	O
the	O
two	O
continents	O
Ash	O
and	O
Storm	O
scattered	O
with	O
magical	O
Mothercrystals	O
which	O
provide	O
aether	O
energy	O
to	O
the	O
population	O
,	O
though	O
overuse	O
causes	O
magic	O
users	O
to	O
petrify	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
powerful	O
force	O
in	O
Valisthea	O
are	O
the	O
Eikons	O
,	O
magical	O
creatures	O
based	O
on	O
summoned	O
monsters	O
from	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
his	O
travels	O
Clive	O
is	O
joined	O
by	O
his	O
dog	O
Torgal	O
;	O
and	O
Cidolfus	O
Telamon	O
,	O
the	O
Dominant	O
of	O
Ramuh	O
who	O
seeks	O
to	O
establish	O
a	O
nation	O
to	O
shelter	O
victimised	O
magic	O
users	O
,	O
and	O
an	O
incarnation	O
of	O
a	O
recurring	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
character	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
was	O
produced	O
by	O
Creative	O
Business	O
Unit	O
III	O
,	O
a	O
development	O
studio	O
within	O
franchise	O
developer	O
and	O
publisher	O
Square	O
Enix	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
staff	O
included	O
members	O
from	O
the	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
multiple	O
veterans	O
of	O
the	O
Ivalice	O
universe	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
producer	O
,	O
Naoki	O
Yoshida	O
,	O
is	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
as	O
both	O
producer	O
and	O
director	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
director	O
was	O
Hiroshi	O
Takai	O
,	O
known	O
for	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
SaGa	B-Operating_System
series	O
and	O
The	B-Application
Last	I-Application
Remnant	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Concept	O
work	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
began	O
in	O
2015	O
after	O
Square	O
Enix	O
CEO	O
Yosuke	O
Matsuda	O
approached	O
Yoshida	O
to	O
develop	O
the	O
next	O
mainline	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
finishing	O
up	O
production	O
on	O
the	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
expansion	O
Heavensward	B-Application
,	O
understood	O
the	O
choice	O
as	O
Creative	O
Business	O
Unit	O
I	O
had	O
begun	O
work	O
on	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
VII	I-Application
Remake	I-Application
,	O
but	O
he	O
needed	O
to	O
balance	O
his	O
work	O
between	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
and	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
decided	O
to	O
become	O
producer	O
as	O
his	O
duties	O
as	O
both	O
producer	O
and	O
director	O
for	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
were	O
too	O
time-consuming	O
to	O
take	O
on	O
a	O
second	O
large-scale	O
project	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Takai	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
also	O
worked	O
with	O
Yoshida	O
on	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
,	O
was	O
picked	O
as	O
main	O
director	O
for	O
his	O
experience	O
on	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
his	O
popularity	O
among	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
and	O
his	O
experience	O
on	O
visual	O
effects	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Full	O
production	O
on	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
began	O
in	O
2016	O
following	O
Patch	O
3.4	O
of	O
Heavensward	B-Application
,	O
when	O
Takai	O
and	O
Maehiro	O
had	O
trusted	O
replacements	O
in	O
place	O
for	O
the	O
next	O
expansion	O
Stormblood	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
initially	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Device
5	I-Device
exclusive	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
version	O
being	O
considered	O
but	O
abandoned	O
so	O
as	O
not	O
to	O
limit	O
the	O
team	O
's	O
ambitions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
choosing	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
combat	O
system	O
,	O
Yoshida	O
conducted	O
surveys	O
within	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
community	O
,	O
finding	O
a	O
division	O
between	O
fans	O
of	O
action-based	O
and	O
more	O
traditional	O
turn-based	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Outside	O
the	O
Kingdom	B-Application
Hearts	I-Application
team	O
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
had	O
little	O
experience	O
designing	O
action	O
combat	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
sought	O
out	O
Ryota	O
Suzuki	O
,	O
a	O
Capcom	O
veteran	O
who	O
had	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
Devil	B-Application
May	I-Application
Cry	I-Application
series	O
,	O
as	O
battle	O
designer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
system	O
was	O
designed	O
around	O
the	O
idea	O
of	O
turning	O
the	O
ability	O
system	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
V	I-Application
into	O
a	O
real-time	O
combat	O
system	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Classic	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
jobs	O
was	O
used	O
as	O
a	O
design	O
inspiration	O
for	O
enemies	O
and	O
some	O
NPCs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
While	O
he	O
accepted	O
,	O
Maehiro	O
was	O
also	O
busy	O
working	O
on	O
the	O
Heavensward	B-Application
scenario	O
,	O
only	O
starting	O
full	O
work	O
in	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
traditional	O
medieval	O
setting	O
and	O
style	O
was	O
chosen	O
because	O
a	O
lot	O
of	O
the	O
core	O
members	O
really	O
enjoy	O
that	O
style	O
from	O
classic	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
games	I-Application
the	O
most	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Eikons	O
were	O
based	O
on	O
established	O
fan	O
favorite	O
summons	O
from	O
across	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
,	O
with	O
Ifrit	O
given	O
a	O
prominent	O
role	O
to	O
contrast	O
his	O
earlier	O
portrayal	O
as	O
a	O
summon	O
for	O
beginners	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Compared	O
to	O
other	O
recent	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
plan	O
for	O
"	O
tertiary	O
content	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
and	O
books	O
,	O
instead	O
having	O
the	O
entire	O
story	O
told	O
within	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
localization	O
is	O
being	O
directed	O
by	O
Fox	O
,	O
who	O
also	O
leads	O
the	O
localization	O
of	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soken	O
had	O
worked	O
with	O
Yoshida	O
and	O
Takai	O
on	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
,	O
and	O
was	O
brought	O
on	O
board	O
due	O
to	O
his	O
familiarity	O
with	O
Yoshida	O
,	O
Takai	O
and	O
Maehiro	O
's	O
world	O
design	O
style	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Having	O
worked	O
for	O
a	O
long	O
time	O
on	O
the	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
,	O
which	O
used	O
multiple	O
styles	O
and	O
paid	O
homage	O
to	O
the	O
entire	O
series	O
,	O
Soken	O
had	O
trouble	O
adjusting	O
to	O
composing	O
for	O
a	O
single-player	O
with	O
a	O
central	O
narrative	O
and	O
musical	O
theme	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Rumors	O
emerged	O
in	O
late	O
2019	O
about	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
due	O
to	O
reports	O
that	O
Creative	O
Business	O
Unit	O
III	O
had	O
finished	O
groundwork	O
for	O
a	O
major	O
new	O
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XVI	I-Application
is	O
set	O
for	O
a	O
worldwide	O
release	O
on	O
June	O
22	O
,	O
2023	O
.	O
</s>
