Final Fantasy 16 Trailer Sheds More Light on the Story and the Role of the Crystals

A new Final Fantasy XVI trailer has arrived, shedding more light on a world that in some ways resembles an even more fantastic version of Ivalice — the realm popularized by Final Fantasy Tactics and Final Fantasy XII. 

As revealed in the new trailer, the land of Valisthea is evidently dying as its crystals slowly fade. A voiceover intones, “Darkness spreads as day gives way to twilight, the mother’s flame now all but a flicker. We cannot live without the blessing of the crystals.”

Crystals are a famous part of Final Fantasy’s lore going back to the original game. While they haven’t been in every single Final Fantasy game, they’re generally included as a more nostalgic element in the series. Their inclusion in Final Fantasy XVI suggests that Square Enix is intent on honing in on iconic imagery from the franchise despite differences like the action-oriented combat.

The trailer goes on to highlight the various kingdoms, each with its own theme: The Grand Duchy of Rosaria, “a bastion of tradition”; the Holy Empire of Sanbreque, “where ambition is divine”; the Dhalmekian Republic, “where fortune shifts with the desert sands”; The Iron Kingdom, “forged in faith and fear”; and the Kingdom of Waloed, “indomitable in its isolation.”

As previously revealed by Square Enix, each kingdom has its own summon, or “Eikon.” Rosaria’s Eikon is Phoenix, while the Eikons of several of the other kingdoms have yet to be revealed. The trailer hints at a major war between the various kingdoms as they battle to “claim the fading light” of the crystals.  

Both Clive and Joshua make appearances in the trailer, with Joshua once again shown summoning Phoenix, and Clive exploring something called “the Deadlands” with several other party members As in the previous trailer, Eikons play a major role. Aside from Ifrit, a mysterious tapestry featuring a multitude of summons is glimpsed at the end of the trailer, which ought to give knowledgeable Final Fantasy fans an idea of what to expect going forward.

Final Fantasy’s Crystals Reborn

First revealed back in 2020, Final Fantasy XVI is the latest entry in the long-running series encompassing dozens of mainline entries and spin-offs. Unlike more recent entries, which have a somewhat futuristic bent, Final Fantasy XVI is more medieval. It is produced by Naoki Yoshida, who has found great success as the director of Final Fantasy XIV.

IGN interviewed Yoshida about Final Fantasy XVI back in June, where he revealed new details on Eikons, party members, and why it won’t be a “Final Fantasy theme park.” We also learned that the puppy in the original trailer has a name, and that it won’t be open world.

Final Fantasy XVI is currently in development for PlayStation 5 as a timed exclusive. It is also expected to be released on PC, but Square Enix has not yet confirmed an official release. It is currently slated for release in summer 2023.

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.