Fans of Final Fantasy have been waiting a particularly long time for Final Fantasy XVI, eight years by the time the proposed 2023 release window arrives. That turnaround is a far cry from several periods in the franchise’s esteemed past, where the release cadence was much quicker, new games launching annually at stages. Thankfully, when the time comes for the game to launch, fans will have dozens of hours of content to digest if an interview held between Italian publication Everyeye, and Square-Enix’s own Hiroshi Takai, Naoki Yoshida, Kazutoyo Maehiro and Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, is anything for us to go by.

Speaking to Everyeye, Takai was asked how long players should expect to be playing through Final Fantasy XVI, and what the goals were for the post-game. To this, Takai responded,

By dedicating yourself solely to the story , you could complete the game in about 35-40 hours . The question mentions the post-game, but the truth is that during the campaign there will be a lot of optional content to explore already during the first playthrough. You can experience most of these without having to complete Final Fantasy XVI first. At the moment we do not have a precise estimate, but by completing the various secondary contents, the overall longevity should reach the threshold of around 70 hours.

Once the game is over there will obviously be the New Game +, which will offer you the opportunity to re-face the story with more powerful enemies. Of course we have also included a lot of content suitable for lovers of difficulty and that will push you to hone your skills ! It would make me really happy if players put themselves to the test with New Game + and show extreme gameplay in live streams!

While Takai addresses the embedded post-game features like New Game +, and the customisable difficulties to make the game’s challenge suitable for players of all ability levels, it’s important to note that the franchise’s last new, core release, Final Fantasy XV, was supported well beyond its initial launch with a range of downloadable content that added new character stories, and even multiplayer into the mix. While no such content has been announced for Final Fantasy XVI yet, and nor should it be, it’s worth considering the possibility that equivalent content may be announced closer to launch or even in the subsequent months.

The game’s development is reportedly 95% complete, and Square-Enix is aiming to release Final Fantasy XVI on PS5 and PC in Summer 2023.

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