Final Fantasy 16 is 95% complete, and a demo is in the works

Final Fantasy 16 PS5 screenshot
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 16 is 95% complete, its final release date and a new trailer are due to be revealed this year, and a demo is in the works, according to a new series of interviews with Japanese outlets.

The update on the game's development status comes via Famitsu, as translated by Gematsu. "We’re planning to put out even more information before the end of the year, so I think we’ll be able to tell you [a release date] at that time," producer Naoki Yoshida said. "It won’t be any later than summer, so don’t worry. (Laughs.)"

There's one more big gaming event due by the end of the year, with The Game Awards set to broadcast on Thursday, December 8. There's been no confirmation Final Fantasy 16 will be there, but it is a very likely venue for a trailer and release date announcement.

Yoshida additionally noted to 4gamer that a new trailer will be coming by the end of the year, and told Dengeki that a demo is in the works. Based on a machine translation of the latter interview, it seems we should expect the demo to be available sometime closer to the game's final launch.

Square Enix has been big on demos for its major titles in recent years. Games like Dragon Quest 11, Octopath Traveler, and even the upcoming Harvestella have had extensive pre-launch demos, many of which allow players to carry their progress forward into the full game. Hopefully Final Fantasy 16 will follow suit.

Fans are still trying to figure out the identity of a mysterious figure in the most recent Final Fantasy 16 trailer.

Dustin Bailey
Staff Writer

Dustin Bailey joined the GamesRadar team as a Staff Writer in May 2022, and is currently based in Missouri. He's been covering games (with occasional dalliances in the worlds of anime and pro wrestling) since 2015, first as a freelancer, then as a news writer at PCGamesN for nearly five years. His love for games was sparked somewhere between Metal Gear Solid 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, and these days you can usually find him splitting his entertainment time between retro gaming, the latest big action-adventure title, or a long haul in American Truck Simulator.