Final Fantasy XV Confirmed for a 2016 Release

Director Hajime Tabata confirmed that Final Fantasy XV will be launching sometime next year. We also have new footage of a Marlboro fight.

During an interview with GameSpot, Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata confirmed that his anticipated open world RPG would be launching in 2016. Tabata is well aware that fans have been waiting a long time for the next official Final Fantasy title, considering that Final Fantasy XIV was an MMORPG and that a number of fans weren't particularly fond of Final Fantasy XII or the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy.

Here's what Tabata said about Final Fantasy XV's inevitable release:

At the very least, I can tell you that it isn't going to be released this year. I think we'll be able to tell you when we're making the announcement around PAX Prime, at the end of this month.

I understand why people are feeling that way after coming to Cologne and speaking to a lot of the media.

We really do get the feeling that people are a bit worried. Certainly, one thing I would like to say to them to reassure them, is that we've set down the release date, we know when it is, and we've got a complete road map lined up, right up to launch, and we're proceeding along that as planned.

We can certainly say to people: it's not going to be 2017. It's going to be before that.

There you have it, Chocobo fans! Final Fantasy XV will launch sometime in 2016 (most likely late 2016) for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Lastly, here's some new FFXV gameplay footage from Gamescom (courtesy of Kotaku). Watch as Noctis and the gang take on a Marlboro:

100 Video Game Facts You May Not Know