The Future of Final Fantasy 16: What Lies Ahead After the Disbandment of Creative Business Unit 3

The Legacy of Final Fantasy 16

The development team behind Final Fantasy 16 has been disbanded, making any future spin-offs or follow-ups incredibly unlikely. Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit 3 was formed from the remains of the old Business Division 5 under the leadership of longtime producer and director Naoki Yoshida to primarily focus on the publisher’s MMO offerings, such as the revamped Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn and its various expansions. In 2020, the studio would shift its focus toward single-player titles, with its most notable to date being this year’s Final Fantasy 16.

Final Fantasy 16 Clive Rosfield crouching down medium close-up promo screenshot

Despite several developmental setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Final Fantasy 16 was met with mainly positive reviews when it launched on the PlayStation 5 in June thanks to its grittier medieval storyline and impressive graphics, even if the series’ continued shift from traditional turn-based RPG mechanics in favor of a Devil May Cry-style action system left fans somewhat divided. Nonetheless, Final Fantasy 16 broke Japanese PS5 sales records just two weeks after its release, and despite sales numbers slowing down afterward Square Enix is reportedly pleased by how well the game has sold in comparison to past installments.

Unfortunately, it has been reported that Final Fantasy 16 developer Creative Business Unit 3 is no more. Studio head and Final Fantasy 16 producer Naoki Yoshida confirmed that his team has been disbanded in a recent interview with Famitsu (as translated by MP1st), except for the main DLC team responsible for expansions like this month’s Final Fantasy 16: Echoes of the Fallen. Yoshida added that he doesn’t expect there to be any kind of fully-fledged sequel game to FF 16 in the style of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion or the Final Fantasy 13 sequels in light of this news, though he isn’t ruling anything out.

The Future of Final Fantasy 16

This isn’t to say that Final Fantasy 16 won’t see any new story content in the future, as a second DLC expansion titled “The Rising Tide” is set to release sometime in Spring 2024. Details are still scarce at this time, but this next DLC mission will see Final Fantasy 16 protagonist Clive Rosfield and his allies travel to the land of Mysidia for an epic confrontation with a Water Eikon known as Leviathan the Lost.

The next Final Fantasy 16 DLC seems like it could answer some lingering questions fans have about the world of Valisthea, but its release will likely be a bittersweet moment for players in light of the recent news of Creative Business Unit 3’s disbandment. Only time will tell what Naoki Yoshida and the talent behind the award-winning Final Fantasy 16 will work on next, but it doesn’t seem like they will be returning to the story of Clive and his resistance anytime soon.

The Uncertain Future

This time, I have accumulated a lot of knowledge from FF16. Rather than continuing with one title forever, I would like to use that knowledge to consider new challenges, such as the next title. However, if you ask me if there will be anything related to FF16 in the future, I don’t know. I don’t know what will happen, so I won’t say anything explicitly.

The recent disbandment of Creative Business Unit 3 has left fans uncertain about the future of Final Fantasy 16 and any potential sequels or spin-offs. While a second DLC expansion is in the works, the long-term direction of the franchise remains unclear. Only time will reveal what lies ahead for this beloved series and its dedicated fanbase.