Sony and Insomniac have announced they're adding five Ratchet & Clank games to PlayStation Plus Premium as part of the series’ 20th anniversary celebration, as well as adding new cosmetics to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

The Ratchet & Clank series already has a handful of games on PlayStation Plus Premium, such as the PlayStation 3 games A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus. Now, the PS3 remasters of original PlayStation 2 games, as well as Tools of Destruction, will also be joining the subscription service on November 15. The new additions include:

• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Alongside the PlayStation Plus Premium games, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is receiving an update as part of the anniversary celebration, which includes five new armor sets for Ratchet and Rivet based on different games in the series' history.

The Ratchet & Clank franchise is one of PlayStation’s longest-running, having begun on the PlayStation 2 after Insomniac shifted away from the original Spyro the Dragon series. Following this, the series was a mainstay of the PlayStation 3 generation with the Future subseries. The PlayStation 4 only had one game, a remake of the original game that launched alongside a theatrical film.

Outside of Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac is working on its Spider-Man series, with Spider-Man 2 set to launch on PS5 next year.

Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment, and queerness all around the internet. Find him on Twitter at @shepardcdr, and listen to his biweekly video game retrospective podcast Normandy FM, which is currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.

Sony and Insomniac have announced they're adding five Ratchet & Clank games to PlayStation Plus Premium as part of the series’ 20th anniversary celebration, as well as adding new cosmetics to Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart.

The Ratchet & Clank series already has a handful of games on PlayStation Plus Premium, such as the PlayStation 3 games A Crack in Time and Into the Nexus. Now, the PS3 remasters of original PlayStation 2 games, as well as Tools of Destruction, will also be joining the subscription service on November 15. The new additions include:

• Ratchet & Clank
• Ratchet & Clank: Going Commando
• Ratchet & Clank: Up Your Arsenal
• Ratchet & Clank: Deadlocked
• Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Alongside the PlayStation Plus Premium games, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart is receiving an update as part of the anniversary celebration, which includes five new armor sets for Ratchet and Rivet based on different games in the series' history.

The Ratchet & Clank franchise is one of PlayStation’s longest-running, having begun on the PlayStation 2 after Insomniac shifted away from the original Spyro the Dragon series. Following this, the series was a mainstay of the PlayStation 3 generation with the Future subseries. The PlayStation 4 only had one game, a remake of the original game that launched alongside a theatrical film.

Outside of Ratchet & Clank, Insomniac is working on its Spider-Man series, with Spider-Man 2 set to launch on PS5 next year.

Kenneth Shepard is a writer covering games, entertainment, and queerness all around the internet. Find him on Twitter at @shepardcdr, and listen to his biweekly video game retrospective podcast Normandy FM, which is currently covering Cyberpunk 2077.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone composer Sarah Schachner has shared that she will no longer be composing music for the games as she has had a challenging "working dynamic" with the audio director on the projects.

As reported by Variety, Schachner did not specifically name the audio director, but it is said to be Stephen Miller. She did, however, address the many fans who have been asking about the release of the Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack. Unfortunately, it may not be the answer many were hoping for.

"I am sad to say I can no longer continue to compose music for MWII / Warzone," Schachner wrote on Twitter. "Over the past couple of months the working dynamic with the audio director has become increasingly challenging and I don't see any path forward. As of now, I am unsure of the status and release plan for the soundtrack as it's been taken out of my hands.

"While I don't have any control over how the music is presented in-game, what will be released on the soundtrack is not my artistic intent in regards to mixing and mastering. Mike Dean was a part of the creative vision for the album as well as mixer Frank Wolf. We have soundtrack masters in hand from Mike which unfortunately you will never get to hear."

She then took the time to praise the work of the audio team as a whole alongside wishing that we still enjoy the soundtrack as she worked so hard on it.

"I would like to acknowledge the incredible hard work of the audio team as a whole, and I hope you still enjoy it because I put so much work and effort into it," Schachner said. "The score features some wonderful performances by musicians Baseck, Brian Mantia, and M.B. Gordon. I'm truly appreciative of the outreach so far and I feel a responsibility to the fans to remain authentic in my approach with the game and its sound which I have been a part of creating for many years."

Schachner has built up an impressive resume over the years, as she has composed music for four Assassin's Creed games (including Assassin's Creed Valhalla), two other Call of Duty games, Anthem, and Hulu's Prey.

For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, check out our review its campaign and multiplayer and the news that it had the biggest opening weekend in franchise history.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 and Warzone composer Sarah Schachner has shared that she will no longer be composing music for the games as she has had a challenging "working dynamic" with the audio director on the projects.

As reported by Variety, Schachner did not specifically name the audio director, but it is said to be Stephen Miller. She did, however, address the many fans who have been asking about the release of the Modern Warfare 2 soundtrack. Unfortunately, it may not be the answer many were hoping for.

"I am sad to say I can no longer continue to compose music for MWII / Warzone," Schachner wrote on Twitter. "Over the past couple of months the working dynamic with the audio director has become increasingly challenging and I don't see any path forward. As of now, I am unsure of the status and release plan for the soundtrack as it's been taken out of my hands.

"While I don't have any control over how the music is presented in-game, what will be released on the soundtrack is not my artistic intent in regards to mixing and mastering. Mike Dean was a part of the creative vision for the album as well as mixer Frank Wolf. We have soundtrack masters in hand from Mike which unfortunately you will never get to hear."

She then took the time to praise the work of the audio team as a whole alongside wishing that we still enjoy the soundtrack as she worked so hard on it.

"I would like to acknowledge the incredible hard work of the audio team as a whole, and I hope you still enjoy it because I put so much work and effort into it," Schachner said. "The score features some wonderful performances by musicians Baseck, Brian Mantia, and M.B. Gordon. I'm truly appreciative of the outreach so far and I feel a responsibility to the fans to remain authentic in my approach with the game and its sound which I have been a part of creating for many years."

Schachner has built up an impressive resume over the years, as she has composed music for four Assassin's Creed games (including Assassin's Creed Valhalla), two other Call of Duty games, Anthem, and Hulu's Prey.

For more on Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, check out our review its campaign and multiplayer and the news that it had the biggest opening weekend in franchise history.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Final Fantasy 16's development appears to be well on track, as its creators have shared the game is "about 95%" done and that its release date should be revealed by the end of 2022.

Speaking to Famitsu and as translated by IGN, Final Fantasy 16's main director Hiroshi Takai was asked about the current status of the latest entry in the legendary franchise, and he said the team was "about 95%" done with development.

Takai also shared that the team is mostly focused now on debugging and fixing any rough parts in the game that may need some extra care. Especially with a game as large as Final Fantasy 16 is set to be, that will take some time.

Speaking of bugs, Takai laughed when he said, "we've forbidden anyone to add new code in case new bugs appear."

The team was next asked about the release date, as Final Fantasy 16 currently only has a release window of Summer 2023.

"We plan to announce some more information before the end of the year, so I think we can announce it at that time," Yoshida said before adding one more thing with a laugh. "I don't think we'll go beyond the summer, so I think it's okay."

IGN also had the chance to speak to the developers of Final Fantasy 16, and they shared with us more about Game of Thrones comparisons the game is getting, sidequests, representation, and so much more.

For more, check out our breakdown of everything we know about Final Fantasy 16, everything we learned in our last interview with Naoki Yoshida, and what you need to know about its latest trailer.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Final Fantasy 16's development appears to be well on track, as its creators have shared the game is "about 95%" done and that its release date should be revealed by the end of 2022.

Speaking to Famitsu and as translated by IGN, Final Fantasy 16's main director Hiroshi Takai was asked about the current status of the latest entry in the legendary franchise, and he said the team was "about 95%" done with development.

Takai also shared that the team is mostly focused now on debugging and fixing any rough parts in the game that may need some extra care. Especially with a game as large as Final Fantasy 16 is set to be, that will take some time.

Speaking of bugs, Takai laughed when he said, "we've forbidden anyone to add new code in case new bugs appear."

The team was next asked about the release date, as Final Fantasy 16 currently only has a release window of Summer 2023.

"We plan to announce some more information before the end of the year, so I think we can announce it at that time," Yoshida said before adding one more thing with a laugh. "I don't think we'll go beyond the summer, so I think it's okay."

IGN also had the chance to speak to the developers of Final Fantasy 16, and they shared with us more about Game of Thrones comparisons the game is getting, sidequests, representation, and so much more.

For more, check out our breakdown of everything we know about Final Fantasy 16, everything we learned in our last interview with Naoki Yoshida, and what you need to know about its latest trailer.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

UPDATE November 4, 2022: The Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition Switch OLED is out now, and if you missed preorders, the good news is it's not too late to grab one. Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy currently have available stock of the limited-edition Pokémon Switch, but Best Buy is pick-up only.

Nintendo has announced a new Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition Switch OLED.

The new Pokémon-themed console launches on November 4, 2022, and features art inspired by the upcoming Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet games with the legendary pokémon Koraidon and Miraidon pictured on the system dock.

Additionally, the console’s joy-con controllers are scarlet and violet colored, with the emblems of the games' Naranja and Uva Academies taking pride of place. The console itself is covered with purple and red graffiti, which includes drawings of the new starter pokémon – Fuecoco, Quaxly, and Sprigatito.

Other symbols are “ones the player might recognize throughout the game” which seems to include the new logo for the game’s Team Rocket counterpart, Team Star. The Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Edition Switch OLED will be available in stores and on My Nintendo Store from November 4 for around $359.99.

Meanwhile, Pokémon Scarlet & Violet have been making waves with a new trailer that gives us a bit more detail about the upcoming Paldea region, as well as what trainers can expect there.

New trainers will take on three unique storylines in Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, including traditional gym challenges, a face-off with Team Star, and a quest to discover new mystical plants.

IGN’s Nintendo Switch OLED review gave it 8/10 and said: “The Nintendo Switch OLED Model’s brighter, more vibrant, and slightly larger screen has made me want to take it out of docked mode much more often – and not just when I am about to travel. I feel more encouraged to lounge around on the couch or even in direct sunlight in the yard and play games handheld. The revised kickstand makes playing on any flat surface easier, and the Ethernet-enabled dock makes downloads quicker. While it’s a tougher sell for current Switch owners, particularly those that mostly keep their console docked, there are enough revisions to make it an easy recommendation for anyone who doesn’t own a Switch already.”

Want to read more about Pokémon Scarlet and Pokémon Violet? Check out the new 4-player co-op coming to the games, and find out about the new terastallizing mechanic.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

Stranger Things Day 2022 is officially arriving on November 6, 2022, and Netflix has shared the schedule of events that will help celebrate the big day, and it includes "surprise reveals about the upcoming season."

November 6 is a special day in the world of Stranger Things as it was the day, in 1983, when Will Byers first went missing in Hawkins, Indiana. Will was luckily saved by his friends, so the day isn't as sad as it could have been.

You can check out the full schedule below, but the event kicks off at 12am PT/3am ET/7am GMT/6pm AEDT. Throughout the day, Netflix will be "teasing new and exclusive content on our social channels, hosting live fan experiences, virtual and in-person special screenings, and introducing limited edition merchandise online and in brick-and-mortar stores around the world!"

The full schedule for Stranger Things Day 2022 is as follows;

Stranger Things Day 2022 Schedule

• Kick off! - 12am PT
• New Photo Drop 001 - 8am PT
• Prepare to be Puzzled - 10am PT
• Roblox Watch Party - 11am PT
• New Photo Drop 002 - 12pm PT
• Headsets on - 1pm PT
• Superfan Trivia w/ Special Guest - 2pm PT
• Merch Hour - 3pm PT
• Super Secret, Be There - 4pm PT
• S4 Volume 2 Theatrical Screenings Throughout the Day

While it isn't crystal clear as to what exactly Stranger Things fans can expect, Netflix is saying that there will be "news and debuts from across the Stranger Things universe; from gaming to new merchandise drops to never before seen photos and surprise reveals about the upcoming season."

As for the movie theater experience, fans in Los Angeles, New York, Miami, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, Philadelphia, Chicago, Phoenix, San Francisco, Austin, Denver, Detroit, Cleveland, Washington DC, Seattle, Las Vegas, Jacksonville, and Toronto will be able to head to select theaters to watch Stranger Things 4: Volume 2 on the big screen for the first time ever. Additionally, there will be costume contests with prizes, trivia, giveaways, and "other surprises."

The Roblox Watch Party will begin at 11am PT and will see Netflix welcoming fans into its Stranger Things world on Roblox. In the world, fans will be able to watch the first episode of Stranger Things and "interact with the immersive world of Hawkins like never before." If interested, fans can visit www.roblox.com/strangerthings for more.

There will also be a party and exclusive items at both Netflix's Stranger Things Experience pop-ups in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and London, and the Stranger Things official stores in Dallas, Miami, and Paris. Lastly, there will be new merch at Walmart, Target, Amazon, Zara Kids, Carrefour, Lush, and Primark, as well as the official online store of Netflix, QVC+, and more.

For more, check out our review of Stranger Things 4, Part 1 and Part 2, the burning questions we have as we wait for the final season, and why that last season will most likely be shorter than this past one.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Hideo Kojima has addressed the report that stated he was working with Google Stadia on an exclusive Death Stranding sequel, saying those rumors were "unfounded."

Kojima was speaking to The Game Awards' Geoff Keighley on his Spotify podcast Brain Structure and was asked about the report that said he was working on this project with Google before Stadia VP and general manager Phil Harrison made the final decision to cancel the project as the company didn't think a solo experience would sell well on the cloud platform.

"The rumor that Death Stranding, moreover a sequel, was in the works to be an exclusive title for Google is unfounded, and Phil Harrison ultimately rejecting that is quite impossible," Kojima said. "I’ve never once said anything to Phil about wanting to create a Death Stranding sequel. I don’t know who pulled this information from where.”

The report came out around the same time as the news that Google Stadia would officially be shut down on January 18, 2023. Google said the platform "hasn't gained the traction with users that we expected," and it informed its users that it would be refunding those who purchased either hardware or games from Google and Stadia.

This episode of Brain Structure was all about clearing up rumors, as Kojima also responded to the rumblings of his supposed involvement with Blue Box Game Studios' Abandoned and how many believed that it was actually a Silent Hill game in disguise.

He said that he was not involved in any way with Abandoned, and that his fans should know that, after the reveal of Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain via the fake company Moby Dick Studio, he "wouldn't do the same thing twice."

We are still waiting to hear about the future of Death Stranding, even though the game's star Norman Reedus may have accidentally shared that he was working on a sequel. Kojima playfully responded to Reedus' comments, but didn't outright deny it.

Speaking of things that aren't ready to be talked about yet, Kojima's next game may have leaked online, and it appears to be a game called Overdose starring Death Stranding's Margaret Qualley.

Kojima has begun talking about one of his upcoming projects, and has revealed that Elle Fanning and Shioli Kutsuna will be part of it.

Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.

Adam Bankhurst is a news writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on Twitch.

Final Fantasy XVI is less than a year away, but Square Enix has left most of the details to be speculated on by the fans. A recent trailer offered more hints about what to expect, including a hint of what crystals – a Final Fantasy standby – mean for the world. Now Final Fantasy XVI’s development team are delving deeper than ever into their upcoming RPG, opening about topics ranging from persistent comparisons to Game of Thrones to questions about representation for Black characters and other people of color.

For this interview, IGN spoke with director Hiroshi Takai, localization director Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, and creative director Kazutoyo Maehiro, with producer Naoki Yoshida also weighing in for some extended thoughts of his own. They talk about it being the first M-rated game in the series, how sidequests will work, and several other topics. They also open up a bit more about its female protagonist, speculated to be Jill Warrick, and how Clive will interact with his companions.

“While [Final Fantasy XVI] does feature a prominent female protagonist, I would hazard the similarities end there. Celes and Aerith are unique in that so much of their games’ narratives revolve around their own respective stories,” Koji Fox says. “[Final Fantasy XVI’s] story, however, has, since the early concept phase, always been about Clive. But as is the case with all Final Fantasys, Clive’s story is about encounters. It is about companions. It is about relationships and how, through those relationships, Clive grows. No Final Fantasy character worth his or her salt ever saved the world on their own. Luckily, Clive won’t have to try, as he, too, is not alone.

You can find the rest of the interview below, and make sure to check out our conversation with Yoshida from earlier this year. Final Fantasy XVI is slated to release in summer 2023.

IGN: Can you talk about the role of the crystals in Final Fantasy XVI, and how they are both similar and different to previous games in the series?

Hiroshi Takai, Main Director: I believe they are similar to crystals in previous installments in the way they are crystallizations of aether, the source of all magic. In Final Fantasy XVI, people mine the crystals and consume them – as though they are deposits of resources, like oil. Perhaps you could say the way that crystals are portrayed as a vital and familiar part of people’s way of life is something that’s distinctive about their depiction in Final Fantasy XVI.

The nations of Valisthea conduct large-scale wars over these crystals, something deeply connected to the story, so I hope people will be excited to discover more. Although, the crystals may have another, significant meaning…

IGN: The mural in the trailer shows Bahamut, Titan, Garuda, Shiva, Leviathan, and Ifrit. Are those all of the Eikons? Can we expect some surprise summons in Final Fantasy XVI?

Kazutoyo Maehiro, Creative Director; Original Screenplay: The mural shown at the end of the trailer we recently revealed doesn’t recount the story being told in Final Fantasy XVI – it was painted in an ancient age, many eons ago. So, you can consider these Eikons appearing in the mural the Eikons that have historically existed in Valisthea. I can’t say anything more about the mural at this point in time – and it may actually be a little tricky to answer whether all those Eikons shown in the mural will appear… regardless, any more than this is still a secret, haha. Eikons are at the core of Final Fantasy XVI’s story.

Unlike the Summons of other installments in the series, there aren’t too many of them, nor are there any hidden, surprise Eikons. But this is because the story focuses on the Eikons – not including any hidden Eikons or having a huge number of them means we can explore each

Eikon and their Dominant more thoroughly.

IGN: This is the first mainline Final Fantasy game to potentially get a Mature rating. Can you talk about why the team decided to make this game darker and more violent than its predecessors? What does it mean for the series as a whole?

Hiroshi Takai: In the early stages of development, we decided that we wouldn’t tell a juvenile story. Some of the major considerations were the age range of the players we expect to form our core audience, and also that we have an increased capability to portray things, in several meanings of the word. You say it’s a more “violent” direction – but the key point here is that we didn’t want to just make things more extreme, we wanted to show things more realistically and naturally.

The world of Final Fantasy XVI is wracked by endless wars between nations, so we inevitably had to include scenes of battle. And if a character doesn’t have any blood splatter on them after slashing someone with a sword, that ends up looking unnatural with modern graphical capabilities – which creates an even stronger sense of dissonance. I’m sure the series will continue to butt up against this question of depicting things realistically and naturally in the future as well.

IGN: Watching the trailer, I find myself mentally comparing it to popular fantasy like Game of Thrones and The Witcher. In particular, the focus on political intrigue and the warring kingdoms, with Clive seemingly standing in for Geralt. What do you think of these comparisons?

Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Localization Director: The two series being so prominent, I suppose it’s hard to make a medieval high-fantasy game these days without drawing at least a few comparisons to Game of Thrones and The Witcher. And while we are ultimately

aiming for something that we hope can stand alone on its own merits, the truth is, there are a lot of fans of Game of Thrones on the development team, and so you will find some instances of similarity in narrative themes and character design. For the most part, however, these similarities usually don’t extend much beyond a few outward features, be they concerning appearance or characterization.

And that isn’t limited to Game of Thrones. Look hard enough, and you’ll find bits and pieces from many different types of media — be they novels, games, movies, anime, or manga. Drawing inspiration from other works is often how a lot of ideas are conceptualized in the early stages of development. When describing how you’d like a certain battle blocked, it is simply more effective to say, “like that one scene in so-and-so” and then work from there to give it its own life. The same can be said for characters. Broad strokes like Indiana Jones cocky, but with the looks of Vigo from Ghostbusters 2; help get everyone on the same page. The final results may still include some vestiges of that original concept that people may point at and say “Look, Vigo!” but once you dig deeper, you’ll find that it was really only the hairline. (Please note, there are no Indiana Vigos in XVI...probably.)

As for intrigue and warring kingdoms, well...it’s hard to save the world when the world doesn’t need saving, just as it’s hard to justify going out and beating up on soldiers from the imperial army when you are at peace with the empire. A lot of good stories are rooted in conflict. They give characters purpose. Generate loss. Provide heroes with something to overcome. Intrigue feeds into that. That said, I wouldn’t say that [Final Fantasy XVI] is a story about political intrigue. It’s a story about Clive. And while politics play a part in the things happening about Clive, he is not at the center of all that, but rather at the mercy of larger forces.

A prisoner of fate who has decided it’s time to break out.

IGN: The trailer introduces two new characters in Dion Lesage and Barnabas Tharmr. Can you talk about the process of designing these characters? Are they meant to represent the Dragoon and Dark Knight classes?

Kazutoyo Maehiro: Clive, the protagonist, is a character with a somewhat dark atmosphere, having sworn revenge. And so, Dion Lesage is a character who was created as a reflection of kinds, made in the traditional image of a prince. He’s an all-round Superman, with an Eikon’s power, good looks, and skilled in both the martial and intellectual arts.

Having said that, not everything in his past and his upbringing is always as gilded as it seems…so he’s quite a compelling character. On the other hand, Barnabas Tharmr was conceptualized in the image of a king cloaked entirely in mystery. Looking at past installments, they absolutely embody the Dragoon and Dark Knight archetypes.

IGN: Can you talk about what you consider to be the “essence of Final Fantasy storytelling” and how you’re incorporating it in Final Fantasy XVI? What’s your personal favorite Final Fantasy story to date?

Michael-Christopher Koji Fox: That’s hard to say, as each Final Fantasy in the series is independent of the others. Story-wise, there is little to tie any of them together outside of a handful of shared monsters, magicks, and music. And thematically, the only real similarity is that they all revolve around a band of unlikely heroes setting off to save the world. Oh, and crystals. A lot of crystals. That won’t change in Final Fantasy XVI.

However, if you look beyond the surface, and deeper into the core of Final Fantasy storytelling, I think you will find a common thread, and that is emotion. The Final Fantasy games do an excellent job of getting the audience to care about their characters and eliciting genuine emotional responses. We celebrate their victories and lament their tragedies as if they were our own—the shock, anger, sadness, joy we feel is real...and that is why it is lasting.

From a pure story/lore perspective, Final Fantasy XII is one of my favorites, but when I think back on what FF moment has stayed with me the longest, it will always be Galuf’s battle with Exdeath in FFV for exactly the reason I mentioned above.

IGN: In regards to diversity in the game, can we expect to see Black characters in Final Fantasy XVI, or people of color (non-white characters) in general? To clarify a bit more, there’s been discussion around the trailers to date featuring mostly white characters, and I wanted to get clarity on whether we can expect the final game to be more diverse.

Naoki Yoshida, Producer: This is a difficult question, but not one that was unexpected, seeing as diversity in entertainment media has become a much-discussed topic as of late. The answer I have, however, may end up being disappointing to some depending on individual expectations.

Our design concept from the earliest stages of development has always heavily featured medieval Europe, incorporating historical, cultural, political, and anthropological standards that were prevalent at the time. When deciding on a setting that was best suited to the story we wanted to tell—the story of a land beset by the Blight—we felt that rather than create something on a global scale, it was necessary to limit the scope it to a single landmass — one geographically and culturally isolated from the rest of the world in an age without airplanes, television, or telephones.

Due to the underlying geographical, technological, and geopolitical constraints of this setting, Valisthea was never going to realistically be as diverse as say a modern-day Earth...or even Final Fantasy XIV that has an entire planet (and moon) worth of nations, races, and cultures at its disposal. The isolated nature of this realm, however, does end up playing a large part in the story and is one of the reasons Valisthea’s fate is tied to the rest of the world.

Ultimately, we felt that while incorporating ethnic diversity into Valisthea was important, an over-incorporation into this single corner of a much larger world could end up causing a violation of those narrative boundaries we originally set for ourselves. The story we are telling is fantasy, yes, but it is also rooted in reality.

Conversely, the Final Fantasy series of games have always inherently dealt with conflict and struggle, especially between the empowered and those used and/or exploited by those privileged few—a prominent trend in human history. In a game that, by design, allows players to experience that conflict and struggle first- hand through dynamic, realistic battles, it can be challenging to assign distinctive ethnicities to either antagonist or protagonist without triggering audience preconceptions, inviting unwarranted speculation, and ultimately stoking flames of controversy. The best part of pulling inspiration directly from history, however, is that it allows us to revisit and re-examine our own pasts, while also allowing us to create something new.

In the end, we simply want the focus to be less on the outward appearance of our characters and more on who they are as people—people who are complex and diverse in their natures, backgrounds, beliefs, personalities, and motivations. People whose stories we can resonate with. There is diversity in Valisthea. Diversity that, while not all-encompassing, is synergistic with the setting we’ve created and is true to the inspirations from which we are drawing.

IGN: Can we expect to see a female character on par with Celes, Aerith, or General Beatrix?

Michael-Christopher Koji Fox: While [Final Fantasy XVI] does feature a prominent female protagonist, I would hazard the similarities end there. Celes and Aerith are unique in that so much of their games’ narratives revolve around their own respective stories. [Final Fantasy XVI’s] story, however, has, since the early concept phase, always been about Clive. But as is the case with all Final Fantasys, Clive’s story is about encounters. It is about companions. It is about relationships and how, through those relationships, Clive grows. No Final Fantasy character worth his or her salt ever saved the world on their own. Luckily, Clive won’t have to try, as he, too, is not alone.

These companions, however, are not simply static, one-dimensional plot devices there to prop up Clive. They have their own pasts, their own motivations, and these are explored in-depth as the player progresses through the story. One such character does end up being featured more prominently. Strong, yet flawed. Brave, yet full of doubt, her relationship with Clive affects him in ways that reverberate throughout his arc.

IGN: Will Final Fantasy icons through history appear in Final Fantasy XVI, especially Moogles and Cactuars? If not, why?

Kazutoyo Maehiro: Chocobos and Moogles will appear in Final Fantasy XVI. They each have their own role, responsible for certain features and parts of the game. There are lots of other common elements as well, including monsters like Bombs and Morbols, and some terminology. Having said that, the world of Final Fantasy XVI is quite serious in tone, so we’ve not gone out of our way to include anything overly comical or things that don’t fit clearly into an ecosystem. This doesn’t relate to the gameplay experience, but we’ve also included a fair number of homages to past Square Enix games in names, etc. These are just like easter eggs – if you know, it’ll make you smile. If you’re the kind of player who likes finding these things, I hope you’ll try and discover the various little nods!

IGN: How linear is the story? How expansive are the individual areas? How much exploration is available? Will there be optional side quests that expand significantly on the lore?

Hiroshi Takai: The part that we call the main story is a rich, expansive narrative that moves forward without any branching points. However, there are lots of side stories interspersed around the main story. These side stories give a lot of insight into the lore and show different sides to the characters. The areas themselves are of varying sizes, some smaller and some larger, but there are multiple so-called “field” areas of around [two square kilometers], containing settlements and other features within them.

As you progress through the story, you’ll also encounter quite a good number of areas called “stages”. Although you can walk fairly freely around the field areas, it’s not like you need to really pour your energy into exploration to avoid the game becoming difficult to make progress with later on. In each area, we’ve included places to gather resources, search for strong enemies called Elite Marks, and situations that Clive will need to overcome whilst the powers he’s obtained from the Eikons are restricted – so it’s not a game that you can finish in its entirety by only following the main story.

IGN: What are the story elements that have been refined and updated the most over Final Fantasy XVI’s development, from initial concept to where the story and script are now? Can you give examples of this as well? In relation, which character has evolved the most through the voice acting, writing, and visual design process? Which character do you find most intriguing?

Kazutoyo Maehiro: In actual fact, there haven’t been any major changes from the very first draft of the story that I showed the Producer and Director. I spent an immense amount of time on the story in the early stages – I didn’t think of it as just a story, but “a story prepared specifically for people to play in the game Final Fantasy XVI”. This meant that there weren’t any significant updates from that point onwards. The same is true of the characters.

However, as I worked on the script, the character of Clive, the protagonist, became much clearer and better defined. Each time this happened, I went back and re-wrote dialogue, time and again. This is one of the reasons why I do think Clive is the most impactful character in the game. Having said that, there are lots of memorable characters in the game, and I hope players will find their personal favorite from among the extensive cast.

Kat Bailey is a Senior News Editor at IGN as well as co-host of Nintendo Voice Chat. Have a tip? Send her a DM at @the_katbot.