Final Fantasy XVI’s story and primary development are finished, Square Enix hiring “final” staff

Square Enix says it’s looking for people who relish the challenge of weaving their ideas into the next Final Fantasy.

Video game developer Square Enix has been very upfront about its plans for Final Fantasy VII Remake to be a multi-game sub-series. So with the first installment being a huge hit upon its release last spring, it seemed safe to assume that the creation of the next Remake chapter was going to be the Final Fantasy franchise’s sole AAA-level game focus for the next few years.

It was definitely a surprise, then, when a preview video for Final Fantasy XVI suddenly appeared last month. But with the video coming as part of the pre-launch hype cycle for the PlayStation 5’s November release, it was also pretty easy to assume that Square Enix simply cobbled together a few cutscene-like animations and a brief gameplay mockup without really having done much, if any, work in earnest on the game.

▼ Final Fantasy XVI preview

But Square Enix isn’t done with the surprises, and the latest is the announcement that not only is FF XVI’s script finished, the game’s primary development is already done too. As a matter of fact, the company’s website says its currently recruiting its “final” batch of workers to complete the game.

According to the recruiting announcement, Square Enix especially needs individuals who can develop game environments, cutscenes, character action animations, and visual effects. Boss battle development is also mentioned as a focus area.

Though considerable groundwork is already completed, Square Enix is quick to assure candidates that the project will still provide them with opportunities to flex their creative muscles, promising:

“Particularly in the areas of action and map design, there is still room to weave your own ideas into the game, so we await applications from individuals who relish such challenges.”

While Square Enix’s headquarters is located in downtown Tokyo, the company says that almost all of the Final Fantasy XVI staff can work remotely.

With mainline Final Fantasy games being among the industry’s most ambitious in terms of scale and production values, it’s still possible that the game’s finishing touches will take some time to finish. If you’d like to be part of the team, though, the recruiting announcement can be found here.

Source: Square Enix via Hachima Kiko
Images: Square Enix
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