When Final Fantasy 16 was first revealed, many fans immediately assumed that it would follow in the footsteps of its predecessor and be a large-scale open world RPG. According to producer Naoki Yoshida, though, that won’t be the case.

Instead, Yoshida says, Final Fantasy 16 will focus on area-based design in a manner that sounds similar to Pokémon Legends: Arceus, which was likewise assumed to be a pure open world world game when it was first announced last year. But while Final Fantasy won’t be a traditional open world game in itself, Yoshida does say that it will take a lot of inspiration from triple-A open world RPGs, though he doesn’t name any specifics.

“We’ve found in our extensive user research that many of the younger generation of gamers have never played a Final Fantasy or don’t have any interest in the series. To create a game that might excite and resonate not only with our core fans, but also with that new generation, we played a lot of games ourselves, and so yes, in [Final Fantasy 16] you’ll find inspiration from recent triple-A open world RPGs,” Yoshida says.

“However, to bring a story that feels like it spans an entire globe and beyond, we decided to avoid an open world design that limits us to a single open world space, and instead focus on an independent area-based game design that can give players a better feel of a truly 'global' scale."

Square Enix offered a better picture of that world in an update that went live last October, when it introduced Final Fantasy 16’s six realms. Modeled after traditional European fantasy, each nation will have a “Dominant” – a special person who holds the power of an Eikon, a special summon that “can level nations.”

The Eikons were showcased during Sony’s recent State of Play event, and Yoshida also revealed more information about how they will figure into the combat and more.

Square Enix’s decision to avoid going with a traditional open world is surprising in light of current trends, but fans will also recall that Final Fantasy 15’s open world was generally criticized as barren and under-developed (even if the fishing was pretty fun). Final Fantasy 16 might have been an opportunity to address those criticisms, but as is so often the case with this series, Square Enix opted to go in a different direction.

Final Fantasy 16 was first announced for PS5 back in 2020, but despite “basic development” already having been completed, it quickly vanished from the collective radar. It finally reappeared earlier this month with a new trailer, screenshots, and a post introducing the development team.

Final Fantasy 16 is currently set for Summer 2023, but for series fans who can’t wait that long, Square is also rolling out a Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 remaster, which is due later this year. In the meantime, check out everything new we learned from our interview with Yoshida in the wake of the new trailer.

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.

After a long period of relative silence, Square Enix recently showed off a brand-new Final Fantasy 16 trailer along with a release window. To follow up from the trailer, IGN had the opportunity to speak with producer Naoki Yoshida, who is currently spearheading the project along with an all-star team of developers.

In the course of speaking with Yoshida, we learned plenty about Square Enix's upcoming mainline Final Fantasy project, including confirmation that it won't be an open world RPG after all. Here are the main highlights.

Final Fantasy 16 Producer Reveals New Details on Combat, Summons, and Party Members

Naoki Yoshida confirmed that Final Fantasy 16 will have a form of party-based combat with AI characters, and he also discussed how Eikons — Final Fantasy 16's version of summons — will figure into the gameplay.

"We didn't want to overwhelm users in our newest trailer, so we focused solely on Clive's battles. That said, for most of his journey, Clive will be accompanied by one or more companions," Yoshida says. "These companions will participate in battle, as well as trade banter with Clive. That said, the party members will be AI-driven so as to allow players to focus solely on controlling Clive."

Final Fantasy 16 Producer Confirms It Won't Be Open World

Final Fantasy 16 won't be following in the footsteps of its predecessor and won't be offering a true open world. Instead, it will divide up its regions into more contained areas while still taking inspiration from other triple-A games, Yoshida said.

"To bring a story that feels like it spans an entire globe and beyond, we decided to avoid an open world design that limits us to a single open world space, and instead focus on an independent area-based game design that can give players a better feel of a truly "global” scale," he explains.

Final Fantasy 16's Puppy Has a Name, And He May Be a Party Member

Remember the pup from Final Fantasy 16's very first trailer? Naoki Yoshida revealed his name while teasing that he may have a much bigger role to play in the gameplay.

"Well, let's just say he’s more wolf than dog—and his name is 'Torgal,'" Yoshida told IGN. "As for him being a party member, you'll just have to wait and see. We'll have more info on parties soon."

On top of the new trailer, Square Enix also revealed new characters while providing more detail on the background of the world. Final Fantasy 16 was previously revealed to be a PS5 exclusive with a Medieval European setting.

Final Fantasy 16 is currently slated to release in Summer 2023. A PC version may follow, but it remains unconfirmed. While you wait, check out the rest of our Summer of Gaming coverage, which includes a brand-new reveal for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth.

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.

Final Fantasy 16 was first revealed nearly two years ago, with Square Enix claiming that "basic development" was already completed. Despite that, Square Enix has been comparatively silent on the newest entry in its long-running franchise until very recently, when it finally released a brand-new trailer featuring Eikons – its version of summons.

The trailer shed more light on what to expect from the still-mysterious Final Fantasy 16, but it left fans with plenty of other questions. How will Eikons feature in the combat? And will Clive work with a party – a staple going back to the series' original NES days – or will he be flying solo?

Speaking with IGN in a new interview, producer Naoki Yoshida provided some more insight into how combat, summons and other mechanics will work in Final Fantasy 16, in the process confirming that it will once again feature party mechanics in one form or another.

"We didn't want to overwhelm users in our newest trailer, so we focused solely on Clive's battles. That said, for most of his journey, Clive will be accompanied by one or more companions. These companions will participate in battle, as well as trade banter with Clive. That said, the party members will be AI-driven so as to allow players to focus solely on controlling Clive," Yoshida explains.

While Yoshida wouldn't confirm one way or another, one of those party members could include Torgal, the wolf-pup from the original trailer. Yoshida said fans will have "wait and see" regarding whether the pup will eventually play a role in the combat, promising more info on parties soon.

Final Fantasy 16's Combat Will 'Translate Summons Into Player Actions'

One way or another, it seems like it will be at least somewhat similar to Final Fantasy 15, which also featured AI-controlled party members. This has been a trend in the series since it moved away from turn-based combat, with even Final Fantasy 7 Remake embracing action-based combat.

On that note, Final Fantasy 7 Remake has been widely praised for balancing depth and nuance with speed and excitement, Yoshida says that Final Fantasy 16 will play somewhat differently.

"[Final Fantasy 7 Remake] would not exist without the original [Final Fantasy 7], and those original systems ultimately influenced what Remake became. [Final Fantasy 16], however, is a completely new game with a completely different concept. In order to take the series in a new direction, rather than build off old battle systems, director Hiroshi Takai and battle director Ryota Suzuki made real-time action their focus," Yoshida explains. "Translating traditional summon abilities into player actions, and allowing for the real-time swapping and chaining of these abilities in battle has allowed us to create a system that not only looks great, but feels really good to play."

Summons featured heavily in Final Fantasy 16's most recent trailer, replete with the customary pyrotechnics that fans have come to expect from such sequences. Ifrit, Ramuh, Bahamut, and Shiva – all of whom appeared in the trailer – have been Final Fantasy mainstays for many years now, and their importance has grown alongside the franchise's leap in fidelity.

In Final Fantasy 16, Eikons are akin to weapons of mass destruction, wielded by "Dominants" capable of leveling nations. Many fans compared their visually spectacular sequences to watching the likes of Godzilla, but Yoshida says the "battle type and scale are somewhat fluid."

"Eikons appear in many different situations and iterations. There is no one design concept that covers all of them. Some will face Clive as fierce enemies, some will be friends and come to Clive’s aid," Yoshida explains. "There will also be times where the player will control an Eikon in real-time, battling other Eikons. The battle type and scale are somewhat fluid, and change seamlessly in real-time depending on the battle… keeping things at maximum excitement while maintaining immersion. These varied types of Eikon-driven action-oriented battles are one of the main selling points of [Final Fantasy 16], and we’ll be bringing more to you in the coming months about them."

Final Fantasy 16 Won't Be a 'Final Fantasy Theme Park' This Time

While Final Fantasy 16 will no doubt be compared to more recent single-player entries from the series, its connections to Final Fantasy 14 can't be ignored. Final Fantasy 16 features an all-star cast of developers from within Square Enix, many of whom worked on Square Enix's acclaimed MMO, starting with Yoshida himself.

Nevertheless, Yoshida says fans should expect Final Fantasy 16 to be a very different experience.

"The development concepts for [Final Fantasy 14] and [Final Fantasy 16] are inherently different. [Final Fantasy 16] does something that no Final Fantasy before it has — take aspects of the entire series and incorporate them into what we like to call a 'Final Fantasy Theme Park.' However, while that is a [Final Fantasy 14] concept, it is not a specific [Business Unit 3] development team characteristic," Yoshida says.

"[Final Fantasy 16] is its own entity, separate from [Final Fantasy XIV] and the other games in the series, so you won’t find as many 'tributes' as you will in [Final Fantasy 14]. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be some easter eggs, though! That said, [Final Fantasy 16]’s main focus will be on maintaining that series-wide feel of 'playing a movie' rather than drawing from past titles."

Despite the differences, Square Enix has no doubt that Yoshida and the rest of the development team can carry over some of the magic from the MMO, which keeps growing with each new expansion.

We'll be able to see for ourselves soon enough when Final Fantasy 16 launches in Summer 2023. In the meantime, check out everything we learned from our interview with Yoshida, as well as the rest of our ongoing coverage of the Summer of Gaming.

Photo Credit: Johnny Cullen

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.

When Final Fantasy 16 was first revealed way back in 2020, a noticeable element was a puppy barking as two of the game’s major characters – Clive and Joshua – meet one another. Veterans of the series will recall that Final Fantasy has a long history with loyal dogs, so what’s the deal with Final Fantasy 16’s extremely cute little pup?

Speaking with IGN in a new interview following Final Fantasy 16’s latest trailer, producer Naoki Yoshida teased a bit more info about the franchise’s newest canine.

“Well, let’s just say he’s more wolf than dog—and his name is 'Torgal,'" Yoshida says. “As for him being a party member, you’ll just have to wait and see. We’ll have more info on parties soon.”

While Yoshida isn’t ready to go into more detail, it seems as if Torgal will definitely have a part to play in the story, and possibly the gameplay as well. Whatever his role ends up being, Torgal will join a proud lineage that includes Umbra, Lunafreya’s dog who can span time and space in Final Fantasy 15; Interceptor, the Doberman Pinscher who lives to gnaw on enemies in the Final Fantasy 6, and Darkstar, who teams up with Rufus Shinra to make your life miserable in Final Fantasy 7.

According to Yoshida, Final Fantasy 16’s battles will feature “one or more” A.I. companions who will participate in battle and trade banter with Clive. We’ll see whether one of those A.I. companions ends up being Torgal.

Either way, our interview with Yoshida brought with it lots more info about Final Fantasy 16, including confirmation that it won’t be open world and additional insight into the role Eikons – Final Fantasy 16’s version of summons – will end up playing. It roughly coincides with the release of Final Fantasy 16’s newest trailer, which broke a long period of silence after its initial reveal.

Final Fantasy 16 is currently slated for release in Summer 2023. For more info, check out everything new we learned from our interview with Yoshida.

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.

Back to the Future star Michael J. Fox is being awarded an honorary Oscar.

The award, which is to be presented to Fox on June 15, 2022, will honor the 61-year-old actor for his tireless efforts to combat Parkinson’s disease, which he has battled since 1991.

“Michael J. Fox’s tireless advocacy of research on Parkinson’s disease alongside his boundless optimism exemplifies the impact of one person in changing the future for millions,” said Academy President David Rubin.

Fox is best known for the role of Marty McFly in the hit family sci-fi flick, Back to the Future. However, he’s also known for his portrayal of attorney Louis Canning in the hit CBS drama, The Good Wife.

Additionally, Fox made a memorable cameo appearance in Scrubs.

Of course, Fox is no stranger to awards, with five Emmys, four Golden Globes, one Grammy, two Screen Actors Guild awards, and a People’s Choice award already under his belt. Additionally, he won GQ’s Man of the Year award.

The honorary Oscar is awarded “to honor extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.” And in Fox’s case, to honor his work in the fight against Parkinson’s disease.

Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s back in 1999 and went public with his diagnosis in 1998. He went on to set up the Michael J Fox Foundation – an organization dedicated to finding a cure for Parkinson’s.

The foundation itself drives progress in the field by funding promising research, accelerating the pipeline from scientific studies to pharmaceutical treatments.

Alongside Michael J. Fox, Euzhan Palcy, Diana Warren, and Peter Weir will also be honored with honorary Oscars.

“Euzhan Palcy is a pioneering filmmaker whose groundbreaking significance in international cinema is cemented in film history. Diane Warren’s music and lyrics have magnified the emotional impact of countless motion pictures and inspired generations of musical artists. Peter Weir is a director of consummate skill and artistry whose work reminds us of the power of film to reveal the full range of human experience.”

The awards will be presented at the Academy’s 13th Governors Awards on Saturday, November 19, 2022, in Los Angeles.

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

The trailer for Stranger Things Season 4, Part 2 has landed, and it teases an absolutely huge season finale with monsters, explosions, and Eddie playing guitar right in the middle of the Upside Down. And, of course, it’s all scored by an epic rendition of Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill.

10 days to go.

The epic 2-part season finale of STRANGER THINGS 4 premieres July 1st, only on Netflix. pic.twitter.com/YvQ0KbLo4e

— Netflix Geeked (@NetflixGeeked) June 21, 2022

The trailer spoils a few things from the first volume of season four, so only watch if you’re already caught up. Starting with the Hawkins gang driving in a van, geared up in preparation to face Vecna, a sinister voice heard over the action promises that “Hawkins will fall.”

The montage of clips that follows promises an action-packed and tense final two episodes. We see Nancy facing down Vecna in a hospital corridor, Will claiming that Vecna won’t stop until he’s taken everyone, Max clicking her Walkman on (presumably with Kate Bush ready and loaded in the tape deck), and Eddie preparing his guitar for a wild solo in the Upside Down.

In Russia, we see Murray hosing down enemies (it's unclear if it's Russians or monsters) with a flamethrower, and Hopper running away from a Demodog while firing an AK-47. And in the lab, soldiers armed with shields and guns raid the corridors. It seems like things are really going to kick off in all corners of Stranger Things’ world.

Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 2 will be available from July 1 on Netflix. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to binge them together, as Netflix won’t shift to a weekly release. For more, check out our review of Stranger Things Season 4, Volume 1, and our five burning questions we have that the final episodes need to answer.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

The works of William Shakespeare may be timeless, but there's always room to put a fresh spin on an old favorite. That's the thinking behind Shakespeare Unleashed, an intriguing new illustrated anthology novel that features a number of talented writers reimagining the Bard's works through a horror lens.

With the crowdfunding campaign for Shakespeare Unleashed now live on Kickstarter, IGN can exclusively debut several new art prints from artist JK Woodward, whose striking black and white imagery accompanies the tales within. Check them out in the slideshow gallery below:

Published in a collaboration between Crystal Lake Publishing and Monstrous Books, Shakespeare Unleashed is a follow-up to the hugely successful Classic Monsters Unleashed. The book is edited by James Aquilone and features stories and sonnets from a wide range of writers, including Joe R. Lansdale (Moon Lake) and Kasey Lansdale (Terror Is Our Business), Ian Doescher (William Shakespeare's Star Wars and William Shakespeare's Avengers), Cullen Bunn (Tales From Harrow County), Seanan McGuire (Every Heart a Doorway) and Jonathan Maberry (Kagen the Damned). And naturally, one of those stories involves a zombie-filled update to Romeo & Juliet.

“Shakespeare saw the human condition in all its glory and its pain,” said Joe Lansdale in a press release. “He saw the horror in the shadows, and the mystery in human loss and ambition.”

"As a horror fan and a lover of Shakespeare, I'm excited to be part of this project,” said Doescher. “Like a demon being summoned, my contribution — based on the comedy Twelfth Night — will channel the Bard's darker side and show how happily ever after can end up in terror, tears, and tragedy."

In other upcoming book and comic book news, Marvel is reacquiring the rights to the Planet of the Apes franchise in 2023, and IGN has an exclusive excerpt from Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Birthright is widely regarded as one of the best comics released through Skybound Entertainment and Image Comics. Fans of that series have plenty of reason to be excited by Skybound's latest announcement. Writer Joshua Williamson, artist Andrei Bressan and colorist Adriano Lucas are reuniting for a new horror series called Dark Ride.

Dark Ride revolves around an amusement park named Devil Land, which has been in operation for 50 years. When superfan Owen Seasons achieves his dream of working at Devil Land, he discovers the park and its rides are home to more than a few twisted secrets, many of which connect back to Devil Land's mysterious creator.

"Two of my biggest obsessions have always been HORROR...and AMUSEMENT PARKS. So, I had to find a way to combine them into something new. It’s a dream book I’ve been working on for a LONG time and it’s been awesome to finally pull it together with Andrei and the whole Birthright team!” said Williamson in Skybound's press release. “It's great to get back to horror after Nailbiter ended, and here we dive into some new themes with horror: What is scary in today’s world? How can you create something scary when every day we’re living in a horror show? Those are the themes I wanted to explore with DARK RIDE. Amusement Parks are meant to be a place of FUN...but here we really bring the HORROR."

“It’s safe to say that we’re heading home! I’m really happy to be reunited with the rest of the Birthright clan once again! Hell! We usually tell people we are a team, but in fact, we are a living, breathing creature! And a hungry one too! At first you had us brandishing swords...but now, this time around...well...horror, right?” added Bressan. “I remember reading something that says ‘In horror, the surface always lies. Nothing is what it seems to be.’ So, take this and mix it up with an amusement park. You think you’re playing and having fun, but you’re actually flirting with Death. And here, Death blinks back at you!”

Dark Ride #1 will hit comic shops on October 5, 2022. However, readers can get an early taste of the new series via a story in Skybound X #25, which releases on July 20.

Williamson is also busy penning DC's latest summer crossover Dark Crisis, a story which has already featured the death of (almost) the entire Justice League. To fill that void, Dark Crisis #1 shows Jon Kent spearheading a brand new Justice League team.

Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.

Microsoft has confirmed that supply disruptions have caused shortages of Xbox controllers in countries across the globe.

In a statement to VGC, Microsoft said “We know it might be hard finding Xbox Wireless Controllers right now due to supply disruptions. We’re working as fast as possible with our manufacturing and retail partners to improve this. Please check with your local retailers for availability.”

As noted in the VGC report, multiple retails across a variety of regions are currently completely sold out of official Xbox Wireless Controllers. The situation seems prevalent across Europe, with Xbox users on Resetera reporting that controllers are tough to come across in France, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK. Austrian fans also seem to be having problems, while in the US only pre-owned controllers can be found on Amazon US and GameStop.

Amazon UK currently has stock of the standard Carbon Black controller, but no other options are available. Over on the UK Microsoft Store, all colours are out of stock.

Console shortages have been commonplace since the new generation of Xbox and PlayStation launched, which has even reportedly prompted Sony to make more PS4s than they planned. But, generally speaking, peripherals have been easy to buy. Microsoft’s statement does not point to the root issue that is disrupting supply, but hopefully this is a temporary hiccup rather than the sign of wider supply issues on the horizon.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.

Developer Mediatonic has confirmed that the Steam version of Fall Guys will still continue to receive full support, despite being delisted from the platform today.

In a post on Fall Guys’ Steam community page, Mediatonic said “For everyone that already owns the game, rest assured that you will continue to receive full support and all the tasty updates that land on other platforms, including crossplay and cross-progression support.”

“However, please note that after 1:00am EST on June 21, new players will be unable to purchase and download Fall Guys on Steam, and the product page will no longer show on the storefront.”

Fall Guys players who didn’t previously buy the game on Steam will now have to head to the Epic Games Store, which is the new home for the game on PC. This platform change comes as Fall Guys switches to a free-to-play model, which also sees the game made available on Xbox consoles, Switch, and PS5, as well as the previous PC and PS4 platforms.

Fall Guys originally launched on PS4 and Steam back in 2020, but since then developer Mediatonic has been acquired by Epic Games. The transition has seen changes to the Steam version, such as Season 6 introducing the requirement for an Epic Games Account, but the launch of the free-to-play version marks the complete switch from Steam to the Epic Games Launcher.

For more, check out some gameplay from the first season of Fall Guys’s free-to-play revamp, as well as its new Halo crossover.

Matt Purslow is IGN's UK News and Features Editor.