Update: The rumored PS5-exclusive Final Fantasy spinoff is an action RPG with Dark Souls and Nioh-influenced gameplay, according to new rumors corroborated by Fanbyte.
Rumors of the spinoff first surfaced earlier this morning, and now we're hearing some new details. In addition to naming the genre and general style, the pre-E3 rumor mill is churning out details about the development team, the game's timeline, and its title.
We've reached out to Square for comment on the new rumors, and we'll update this article if we hear back. But for now, it sounds like the spinoff could be titled Final Fantasy Origin and be in development at Team Ninja, the division of Koei Tecmo known for Ninja Gaiden, Nioh, and the Final Fantasy fighting game series Dissidia NT. Fanbyte's report claims that the spinoff is largely being handled by the team behind Dissidia NT, which also includes some key developers from Nioh 1 and 2.
Final Fantasy Origin is said to take place in the same universe as the original Final Fantasy game, which was published by Square in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. While it's being said that it takes influence from Dark Souls and Nioh, Fanbyte also says the Final Fantasy spinoff is more accessible to a general audience.
A brand new Final Fantasy PS5 exclusive could be announced at this year's E3.
According to Resetera user Navtra, who has previously correctly predicted other upcoming announcements, Square Enix may be revealing “a PS5 exclusive FF title, and a cross-gen Eidos title” at E3 2021.
The leaker also claims that fans “can expect at least one more major FF announcement” and that Square Enix will also share updates on other Final Fantasy projects that have already been announced such as Final Fantasy 16, Final Fantasy Endwalker, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Navtra also added that “It should be a good E3 season for Square overall.”
It’s not yet clear what the video game company has planned for their E3 2021 showcase however the studio’s president Yosuke Matsuda has confirmed that they’ll be in attendance at this year’s virtual event noting that “we are planning to announce [other lineups] at E3 in June, so please look forward to it.”
Square Enix currently has Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade on the horizon, which is due to release just two days before E3 2021. On top of that, there is also Forespoken, Neo: The World Ends With You, and the mysterious Project Triangle Strategy all in the pipeline.
Fans can probably also expect to see some more of Life is Strange: True Colors - which is due to release September 10, 2021 - at this year’s event. We may also get our first look at the Life is Strange Remastered Collection which is being bundled in the Ultimate Edition of True Colors as well as being released as a standalone game this autumn.
To see what else you can look forward to at this year’s event, take a look at our E3 2021 schedule guide.
